Help Needed, Revenge Wanted
by airedalegirl1
Summary: Charlie is attacked and left for dead and only Bella knows the truth about his assailant so she does the only thing she can to keep him safe, she runs. Thirsting for revenge she needs to find an ally but where does she look? After all, it's not as if vampires read the personal ad's, is it? J/B. Collaboration with katandjasper
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

 **Bella**

It was a nightmare, one I couldn't break free of however hard I tried. The blood was everywhere, the metallic scent of it almost overwhelming and making me heave. The floor was slick with it and I slid, crashing to the tiles leaving a bloody skid mark where I went. I lifted my hands to see they too were now bloody and tried desperately to wipe it off on my sweater. Where had it all come from? I checked my hands once more, no cuts and I felt no pain except for my bruised backside as I'd landed heavily on it.

The kitchen was empty but a trail of wet blood glistened leading to the door into the hall. I took a deep breath trying to steady my heart which was trying to hammer its way through my ribs. With a still bloody hand I turned the handle and slowly opened the door, or tried to, something was stopping it from opening wide.

I wriggled through and gasped in horror to see Charlie lying senseless on the hall floor, blood seeping from a terrible wound in his neck. I flung myself down beside him and felt for a pulse, So relieved to find one that I began to cry, my tears falling to mingle with his blood. Looking around I spied his scarf dangling over the banister and grabbing it tied it too tightly around the wound packed with strips torn from my shirt. I couldn't leave him like this, he could hardly breathe but I had to get help.

I ran back into the kitchen and grabbed the phone dialing 911 and almost screaming at the dispatcher to send an ambulance. It took her a few vital seconds to calm me enough to give her a coherent address but I couldn't stay on the line, Charlie needed me. Running back into the hall I loosened the scarf slightly, relieved that the flow of blood had slowed but terrified it might mean he was dying.

The ambulance seemed to take forever to arrive but finally I heard sirens and first Andy, Charlie's deputy and another officer, and then the paramedics arrived and after a quick look at Charlie they scooped him up and took him off in the ambulance. I was reluctant to go with him for one reason only. What other than a vampire could have caused such a wound? I had to see what Andy found out first so I put on a show of stumbling to the bathroom promising to follow the ambulance to the hospital shortly.

I found I could hear Andy and the other officer talking as I opened the door and listened carefully.

"It's a real mess in here Andy looks like Bella fell in the blood when she found him. What the hell could have done that to the Chief?"

"I don't know. I guess we'll have to wait for the doctor's report."

"The paramedics said it looked like an animal attack but in his own house? How crazy is that?"

"Seal off the area. I'll send the crime technicians to sort out what happened then take Bella to the hospital."

An animal attack? I doubted that, no, this was a vampire but who? If only the Cullens were still here, at least they might be able to help me find out but then they had gone, they didn't care and I was left with Charlie almost murdered by one of their own. I was grateful for the ride to the hospital, especially as it gave me a chance to organize my thoughts before making a statement. Andy didn't press me, he was going to do this by the book, and was content to let me sit quietly after asking if I was OK.

It seemed hours before I was allowed in to see Charlie who was barely conscious and hooked up to monitors and a drip replenishing all the blood he had lost. It occurred to me then that this couldn't be a vampire or Charlie would be transforming. I couldn't see a vampire feeding on him and then sucking the venom out as Edward had for me, or in spite of my wishes I should say. Could it really be an animal? The only animal I could think of that might come into a house seemed improbable, to say the least, the Quileutes were Charlies closest friends.

Oh, Edwards parting shot had been to tell me what my "precious Jake" really was. He didn't want me but he didn't want Jake to have me either. I hadn't believed him but I'd had to ask Jake none the less and found to my horror it was all true. By coming to live in Forks with my dad I had walked right into a Gothic horror story. Vampires had done me no favors and I wasn't taking any chances with werewolves either so I cut Jake and the rest of the Quileutes off although I promised to keep their secret, I didn't think they were any danger to Charlie. Had I been wrong?

I stayed at Charlie's side until Andy insisted he needed a statement. Reluctantly I went with him to a visitor's room the doctor had made available for him. Once sitting down I told him as calmly as I could what I had seen which wasn't anything really. The attack was over before I got home from the store. I wish now I had driven there, I'd have been home sooner but it was a nice evening, no rain and the sun was shining so I decided to walk. It was only a few blocks and I could do with the fresh air after being cooped up in school all day.

"The doctor is puzzled by the wound. He says it looks like human teeth caused it but I can't imagine anyone doing that, they'd have to be crazy."

My breath caught in my throat, human teeth? Was I wrong then? What the hell was going on?

"There are some real sickos in this world Bella, I'm going to check the local mental institutions and surrounding police departments. Do you want a ride home? Or….I guess going home is out of the question until the crime technicians are finished. Is there somewhere I can take you? A friend's?"

I shook my head,

"If I can just collect some of my stuff I'll get a motel room. I can't cope with talking about it right now."

"I'm not sure you should be alone Bella, we don't know what's going on but if you insist I'll leave a patrol car outside your room to watch out for you."

Going back into the house after reassuring myself that Charlie was going to be OK and promising to visit the next day was the hardest thing I had ever done. I felt sick to my stomach and grabbed the first things I saw before bolting from the house. Andy took me to the motel on the edge of town and explained the situation so the manager gave me the best and most private room while the patrol car glided up and parked where the officer could see my door.

Once inside I dumped my clothes, stiff with dried blood into the evidence bag which I left outside my door as arranged with Andy. I showered, rubbing my hands until they were sore in an effort to make sure all traces of Charlie's blood was gone, then put on clean sweats and checked to see the bag had been collected. The officer in the car put a hand up in greeting and I returned it relieved the bag was gone.

Laying on the bed I thought about what I knew, something had attacked my dad between my going to the store and my return but he didn't get home until about ten minutes before I did so the window of opportunity was small. The attacker was certainly fearless and strong if he managed to overcome Charlie who had managed to tell Andy that he didn't see who attacked him, just heard the door open and then everything went black.

"I was reaching for a cloth, I just cut my hand on the damn knife I was using to pry a lid off. I know, stupid move, then bam."

Something woke me in the middle of the night in a cold sweat and I ran to the bathroom vomiting up everything in my stomach until my chest ached. I couldn't remember my dream but it had been so vivid at the time. Deciding I wouldn't get back to sleep any time soon I sat in the chair and turned on the T.V not even noticing which program was on. Then it happened, like a movie in fast-forward and I knew beyond a doubt what had happened and what I must do.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

 **Just in case there are any new readers of our stories I should just explain Darius is one of my characters and not in any of the official Twilight stories.**

 **Darius**

Well now this was intriguing, it wasn't often a human went looking for vampires. For one thing, hardly any knew of our existence and any that did find out didn't live very long with the knowledge and for the second who in their right mind would go looking for a predator who would kill them without blinking? This human was either very brave or extremely fucking stupid but I had to admit to a certain curiosity and very little interested me these days.

Sometimes I wondered why I didn't just end it all, stop the pain and misery of my existence but then I'd always been stubborn and bloody minded. Besides I'd sworn revenge on my mate's killer and he still eluded me. Caius was clever and cautious and I knew he knew I was out here waiting for him to make the single mistake that would put him within my reach and he would make it one day. Did I mention I was patient too? I'd already waited centuries what were a few more?

So, should I satisfy my curiosity? I wondered what this human would do when confronted with a real live vampire. Scream and try to run? Ask to be transformed? I knew there were sick humans out there who thought they wanted the life of a vampire, those who thought their human lives mundane, boring or just too painful. If only they knew, most vampires would change places with them in a heartbeat just to end the ceaseless hunger, the thirst that drove every second of our existence with no let-up, not a moment's respite.

I sighed and shut the lid of my laptop slipping it inside its leather case before leaving the library. I rarely used such human facilities but being on the road I had to stop from time to time to feed and the reference section of a small town library just before closing time was as good a place as any to hunt. They were usually almost deserted and provided plenty of places to wait for the lone librarian to check before locking up for the night and going home. The librarians were often loners who lived alone and wouldn't be missed immediately giving me the leisure to feed and then leave town without a rush. I liked libraries, the smell of books, even parchment in some of the larger ones, the feel of the covers, the world of knowledge held within the pages. Computers were wonderful tools but they would never replace books in my mind.

When I finished feeding and hid Annie's body in the trunk of my car, parked out back by the loading dock, I decided I was sufficiently curious to arrange to see the curious human. It meant a detour but what the hell, I had time on my side, all the time in the world and no one was expecting me anyway. There had been no one in my life since Sara, no one I cared enough about to keep in close contact with anyway. Most of the vampires I had known were dead or members of the Volturi, despite our immortality few vampires lived for centuries. We grew weary of life, crossed path with a Guardian, or came across another of our kind stronger or more violent than us, that was the sorry lot of a vampire. I trusted few and preferred my own company most of the time.

It took me three days to drive cross country and all the way I asked myself why I was bothering. Not that I had somewhere better to be and I could still fulfill my obligations, my temporary office was with me. All I needed was an internet connection and these days that wasn't a problem wherever you went. I wasn't even sure why I did these jobs for friends except they challenged me occasionally. Finding facts was what I did, better than anyone else on the planet and my fees paid for my nomadic lifestyle.

Would my life have been different if Sara had lived? Sure, we would have had a home of our own somewhere remote, somewhere we could be alone and happy. All Sara had ever wanted was a home of her own and me. We had planned on a small vineyard growing our own grapes and while Sara made wine I would write. I'd always loved words, loved knowledge, and I planned on writing a world history using my vampire traits to gain entrance to all documents and maps that were in private hands and out of the reach of other researchers. Sara could draw lifelike pictures so illustrations and maps would be down to her and one day it would be published when technology found a way to spread the written word through the world, which it now had. We found the vineyard, I even started the book and then it happened. The invitation to Volterra that couldn't be ignored.

Sara's old friend Athenadora wanted her to visit, to see her new home, the citadel the brothers had built as a palace to rule their kingdom from and we went. If I had known of Caius' reputation with females I would have refused even if it meant upsetting one of our rulers but I didn't and Sara thought she was safe from Athenadora's husband because of her close relationship with his wife. She was wrong and as result, I lost my mate and found a rage inside me that merely grew more intense over the centuries as I waited for my revenge.

Pulling into the bar's parking lot I turned off the engine and looked around. It was hardly the sort of place anyone wanting a peaceful drink would choose but it was full of humans so maybe my human thought they would be safe here. That a vampire wouldn't attack in such a public place which made me wonder how much they really knew about my kind, after all, we were fast enough to deceive the human eye.

"What am I doing Sara?"

I shook my head, maybe I was losing it, my brain finally failing.

Sliding out I locked the car and sauntered to the bar watching as more humans entered, mostly young and male all trying to look tough and to my eye failing miserably although the few females that accompanied them seemed taken in. I smiled, how would they measure up against me? I could kill the entire clientèle in a heartbeat and not even break a sweat but I wasn't here for trouble…...no, just what the hell was I here for? I asked myself as I pushed open the door and entered the dim interior, the atmosphere thick with the scent of stale beer, old perfume, and sweat.

I looked around then made my way to a booth at the back, one of three still unoccupied and sitting down I gazed around, was the human even here? Was it the guy with the paunch sitting at the bar, piggy little eyes scanning everyone who entered? The dancer on the small stage, her eyes skipping from customer to customer? The guy behind the bar sliding beers along the counter? I sat back and watched as a young woman made her way to the booth to take my order, the only downside to sitting in a bar, the need to blend in.

"Hi there. What can I get you?"

I sat there for three hours and at the end I still had no idea who the human was. If they were here then they were playing it very cool or they had no idea there was one of those they sought already here. Maybe it was a wild goose chase, a waste of time, but then I had plenty of time to waste. After pouring four beers down the back of the booth I decided I'd had enough and left.

A white square on the windscreen of my car stopped me and I pulled out from behind my wiper and unfolded the note. It was wrapped in plastic and from the acrid smell it had been doused in bleach. So, this human knew enough to understand they could be tracked by scent, maybe this wasn't such a waste of time after all. I smiled as I read the words.

"I know what you are and I need to talk to you. Be here again tomorrow evening."

There was no signature and the words were in block capitals so I couldn't determine if it had been written by a man or woman but I was still interested and knew I'd be back tomorrow night.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three**

 **Darius**

I was back the next night as instructed, earlier so I could get a booth with a better view of the bar. This time, I was determined to spot my human watcher before they approached. The bar filled up as before many of the faces the same as the night before although the dancer was different and there were three waitresses including the one who served me the day before.

I watched for anyone showing me too much attention, waited to feel eyes on me but although I got the feeling I was under observation I couldn't pinpoint the human responsible, it was almost as if they were hidden from my vampire senses which was very fucking unnerving.

I found it more difficult to dispose of my drinks as this booth lacked the gap between partition and wall and was forced to drink at least some of the crap I couldn't spill or water the nearby sick looking plant with. Why the hell was I putting myself through this when there was nothing in it for me? At least nothing tangible, except I guess for the answer to a few questions but then that's what drove me, knowledge, and this human had knowledge they had no right having, knowledge that would pretty soon see them dead and buried in an unmarked grave.

No one approached, there were no notes slipped onto my table, no crooked finger or bend of a head and after three hours I lost patience, if this human wanted to speak to a vampire so eagerly then they'd better fess up real quick or I was gone. The contact when it came was something of a surprise. I picked up a new beer and tipped it to my lips pretending to swallow but no liquid came out. As I peered into the long-necked bottle I saw a cylinder of paper jammed in there and immediately glanced over at the guy behind the bar but his interest was on the dancer and I could see that anyone could have jammed the paper in my bottle as it lay on the counter waiting for the waitress to collect it after dropping off the empties.

I pulled it free recognising the same block capitals as the night before,

"I'll meet you at your car, 11.30. Please listen to me before you decide to kill me. I know my knowledge of vampires is a death sentence but I need your help."

So, this human knew more, did they know about the Volturi too? Or just the law prohibiting humans from learning our secret. Either way, they knew or had known another vampire. One who had not only spilled our secret but allowed the human to live, it got curiouser and curiouser.

I checked the time, 11.10. Well, I'd had enough of sitting here listening to the inane chatter of those around me, their mundane lives making me glad for once that I was a vampire and out of it, so I got up and left wondering if the human was watching but seeing nothing to give me a clue.

I strolled slowly back to my car then stiffened seeing a figure standing by the passenger door. The closest light was out although I remembered it being on when I arrived, coincidence or not? The figure didn't move as I continued to approach, either this human was stupid or they had guts. As I got closer I could tell it was female, too slight for a man, although I couldn't smell any scent, in fact, I couldn't smell anything at all, no soap, shampoo, perfume, nor alcohol or cigarette smoke although I assumed she had come from the bar, through the smokers who still insisted on congregating in little huddles to puff away outside.

I stopped, the hood between us and waited for her to speak first,

"Thank you for coming. My name is Bella."

She stretched out a delicate hand and I frowned, didn't she know I could crush it without even thinking about it? Was she really so fearless in the company of a vampire, man's most dangerous predator? Deciding to go along with her, for now, I took the hand or at least tried to. At first, it was like grasping at smoke, as if I couldn't quite reach her flesh but then the feeling melted away and our hands touched briefly.

"I don't know what you are looking for Bella but do you have a death wish?"

She shook her head and then looked into my face and I saw determination and a certain amount of anger in her eyes.

"Actually no, not any more, although I admit I wanted to die at one point. Now I want to live very much. I'm sure as a vampire you understand the concept of revenge, well that's what keeps me going. An overwhelming urge for revenge."

I could see she meant it and thought how ironic she should find herself in company with the one vampire who understood that emotion only too well.

"Yeah well, revenge is a pretty powerful drive but what I don't understand is why, if you want to live, you chose to contact a vampire, especially as you know only too well that we live on human blood. Just like the stuff flowing through your veins right now."

"I know but the only way to become a vampire is through another and I was clean out of options. It's not easy hunting vampires, not for a human. I tried luring one in using blood but then I realised whoever came wouldn't be able to help me."

"I guess a vampire looking for blood would be likely to drain you, not turn you. Few vampires have the self-control to stop or the inclination to change another."

"Exactly, I needed someone who would give me a chance to explain and I thought a vampire who would take the time to follow my clues on the internet might just want to know the score before attacking. Oh yes, I should just warn you that I can't be taken by surprise, just so you know."

I thought about the strange sensation, could it be that this human girl possessed a shield against vampire attack? I'd never heard of such a thing but she seemed so relaxed, so calm.

"OK, I'm interested, why don't you tell me your story, Bella."

She smiled and it occurred to me that without the bitter twist to her lip she could be really pretty.

"Not here, it's cold. Is there somewhere we could go?"

I shrugged,

"It's your town, not mine Bella, I'm just travelling through."

She sighed and pushed some stray tendrils of dark hair behind her ear which caught in my throat as I realized just how much she reminded me of my precious Sara.

"I live a few blocks from here. We could walk. Your car should be safe here for a few hours."

"A few hours? I take it this is quite a story then?"

"Yes, and I'm hoping at the end of it you'll agree to change me."

Put that bluntly, her mission in life startled me slightly, I couldn't imagine anyone willing go through the change from human to vampire and it whetted my appetite to hear her story so we began to walk side by side along the almost deserted sidewalk towards her home.

As we walked I wondered about this girl who knew our secret, who had told her and why hadn't they either killed or changed her then? Who was it she hated so much and what had they done to engender such a thirst for revenge? She wanted to become a vampire which meant her prey was also a vampire if it had been a human she could have found an easier way to gain revenge.

There was something else about this girl, though, I couldn't smell her blood but looking at her I could see and I just knew somehow that she wasn't like any other human I had ever encountered. The possibility of the shield was interesting in itself but I sensed there was more, something besides revenge powered her search for a vampire, for the transformation she sought so eagerly and I decided I wanted to know what that was. I wanted to know all about the enigma that was Bella the human.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

 **Bella**

I hadn't dared hope that my ruse would work but I'd exhausted every other avenue. I needed to become a vampire and my only hope was to find a vampire I could persuade to do the deed. I'd waited a long time hoping to trace the Cullens but with no success and with every passing month I got worse. Now my carefully worded message on the websites used by real vampires that I remembered Edward telling me about had finally drawn one in and it was down to me to persuade him to help me.

At least he had come and had listened, had spoken to me. The only time I confronted a vampire in the flesh she had attacked immediately and seeing she wasn't going to stop until she killed me I had done the only thing I could and protected myself. I hadn't trusted my ability to control my shield or I could have let her bite me and then protected myself. The trouble was it was a city street, deserted at the time but it would have been bustling in a few hours and I couldn't afford to be discovered undergoing the change. I didn't regret killing her, I'd seen her feed on other humans and knew I had done my fellow men a favor but it still hurt and it didn't get me any further towards my goal.

This male, I still didn't have a name, was more hopeful, if I could only get him to listen to my story and understand. I wouldn't give him any names, I had no idea how close the vampire network went, he might recognize the name, Cullen. When I finally found them I wanted my vampire state to be a surprise.

Once at my studio apartment, tiny but all I needed or could afford I invited him in and we sat facing each other in silence for a while. Then he smiled and I realised he was handsome but not in the way Edward had been. This vampire had a more lived-in face as if he had endured a lot and been marked by it, a more mature face and one I decided I preferred. He had that almost unnatural stillness I had seen in vampires but then I guess when time means nothing and you have no bodily functions to distract you then stillness was easy.

Deciding the easiest way forward was to explain my situation I began to speak.

"Have you ever wanted something so badly it feels like it's eating you up inside? Been treated so badly you can feel the need for revenge, taste it even?"

He nodded without speaking but I could see from his expression that he did, he understood the emotion only too well.

"As you probably gathered I used to know a vampire, well more than one actually. I even wanted to become one myself because I believed he was in love with me, he told me so."

"And it didn't occur to you that he might be lying to you?"

"Yes, but when he resisted the call of my blood I thought it was because he loved me. Then I found out it had all been a game to him, he got bored and left."

"Left? And left you alive with his secret? I find that hard to understand considering how dangerous that was."

"I think he knew me better than I knew myself or thought he did. He imagined my love for him would mean I would never put him in danger but there was something he didn't know, neither of us knew at the time."

"Your love would turn to hatred? You'd want revenge? Wouldn't it be safer for you to just forget all about him? Or do you still love him? Is that why you want me to change you? So you can find him and hope he'll change his mind if you are a vampire too? Bad idea Bella."

"No, I want to kill him and as a vampire that would be so much easier but it's not the main reason I want you to change me."

He frowned,

"Then what is?"

"I think I'm dying and I need time to finish this, get my revenge."

 **Darius**

I looked closely at the girl, she looked abnormally pale and fragile but not particularly sick and her heart beat if anything was stronger than most humans.

"I don't follow you. Is it worth wasting whatever time you have left alive looking for revenge? Let me tell you being a vampire is not the solution. Immortality isn't all you think it is."

"Oh, I know that. After he left me I realized what a close escape I'd had, or thought I had. I was pleased he'd refused to change me but you see…...I don't have a choice."

Now I was truly confused,

"You didn't want to become a vampire? Then what changed your mind? What do you mean you don't have a choice?"

"I told you I'm dying, or at least I think I am and I can't do anything about it. I can't risk going to a hospital, not if it's caused by what I think. That would bring the Volturi down on me and possibly those I love."

So she did know about the Volturi! From her words I took it that she thought her sickness had something to do with the vampire who had abandoned her and I smiled,

"Trust me, if sex with a vampire made you sick the humans would have discovered our secret a long time ago."

She blushed slightly which gave her a more healthy glow but it didn't last.

"No, you misunderstand, it has nothing to do with that, we never…"

I shrugged,

"Then what?"

"I was attacked by another vampire while we were together."

She pulled up her sleeve and displayed the bite mark on her wrist. It was healed but quite clearly the mark of a vampire attack.

"I don't understand if you were bitten…"

"Why am I still human? My boyfriend killed the vampire, a nomad, and sucked the venom out."

I shook my head, this sounded more and more like a fairytale the longer she spoke. A vampire sucked the venom from a human's bloodstream and left her alive? Not in a million years, not unless she was his mate and as he then abandoned her that wasn't likely.

"I know you don't believe me but it's the truth. I thought it was all over when he left but I was wrong. I'm cursed and it's all his fault if he'd just let me change then….then I wouldn't be what I've become."

"And what's that? Not a vampire clearly."

"No, far worse. A creature of nightmares for me and for others around me. It's like I'm on fire inside like my organs are burning, I crave blood but it makes me sick and I find myself dreaming of killing people, ripping their throats out. I can't live like this, knowing that one day i won't be able to control myself. I have to defend others against myself and becoming a vampire will do that."

I thought about this,

"So what you are saying is that you think some of the nomad's venom remained in your system and has been working on you slowly?"

She nodded and I could see bitter tears in her eyes,

I'd never heard of anything like this before but then I'd never heard of a vampire who could resist the lure of fresh blood,one who could or would save a human. She wiped her face with the back of her hand.

"Maybe if you could reach me you would be able to smell the venom in my bloodstream."

Suddenly I was aware of Bella as a human, she had allowed her protective shield to drop completely and she was right. She didn't smell entirely human but neither did she smell like a vampire. Her bodily functions seemed faster and more erratic than any human I had ever met yet to believe her story meant discarding everything I thought I knew about my species and that was going to be hard to do.

"OK, I can tell that at least some of what you are telling me is true, I can detect some venom in your system, not much but a little but you do understand that if you become a vampire you will be as if not more dangerous to the humans around you? There's something you aren't telling me isn't there? A part of the story you've held back. If you can't be honest with me I'm gonna walk."

She looked at me, tears shimmering in her eyes, and continued in a horrified whisper,

"I ran away from home after I almost killed my father. I knocked him out when I attacked and he never saw who did it but I was drinking his blood when I came back to my senses and fled. Luckily he was found in time, they think an animal did it but I know the truth. I've been running from it ever since but it's getting harder and harder to resist the urge. So you see, you are my only hope."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five**

 **Bella**

I had done all I could, told him the whole truth or at least as much as I could. I had no way of knowing if this vampire knew the Cullens or even if he might be a friend of Carlisle's. After all, Edward's father had been a vampire for many centuries and even a friend of the Volturi brothers so it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility. All I had left in life was my thirst for vengeance. If the Cullens hadn't abandoned me then maybe they could have helped me through this, turned me and kept Charlie safe. Maybe Edward would have stayed at my side although somehow I doubted that after all he had said but surely he wouldn't have left me to deal with this nightmare alone. As it was I had no one, no future and nowhere to go, no control over my life or my body and I was reduced to begging a strange vampire to change me.

I had dreamed of what I would do once I had joined the vampire race, it was the only thing that had kept me sane this last year. I would hunt the family down and then I would kill them, one by one. Take away from Edward and Carlisle who had backed him everything they loved just as their actions had taken away everything I held dear. I had no real quarrel with Rosalie, she at least had always been open in her hatred for me so maybe I could allow she and Emmett to live but then would they come looking for me? Would they want revenge in turn? Did it really matter? So long as Edward and Carlisle suffered, so long as all those who had pretended to care, to feel for me, suffered, I didn't care what my own end would be. Could I face Rosalie and let my shield down? Allow her to kill me? I didn't know and right now I didn't care, it was merely a distraction from my goal and I pushed it out of my mind.

The sun was coming up before the vampire spoke and I had almost fallen asleep although I found myself unable to close my eyes for long. Not because I no longer needed sleep like a vampire, in fact, I was bone weary and my eyes were sore, my thought processes sluggish from sleep deprivation. Only the pain prevented me from sleeping, the gnawing of venom on flesh and bone, the incessant pain in my guts and in my head. I had feared if I didn't find a vampire soon it might be too late, that I might have become unable to carry through my plan being too weak and confused but…...he was here and I prayed as he began to speak that he would agree to help me.

"I've given your story much thought Bella and I can't see why you should have made up such a fantastic tale. After all, you know too much and I can see the marks on your flesh. Before I tell you my decision I want to make something very clear, I understand the thirst for revenge better than you could ever imagine but I also know it will devour you. Maybe you should just let go. If you become a vampire you could start over, your life will never be the same, you'll still be a monster, just a different kind of monster. If you insist on pursuing your vendetta you might find yourself dead very quickly despite your shield. It takes newborns years to learn control, enough control to put such a plan into operation and he might find you first, or the Volturi might. If they discover a newborn with such a potent gift they will come looking for you and no one can outrun them, they will collect you and once in Volterra free will is a thing of the past. You would become a puppet in the guard, are you prepared for that? An unending future as a slave of the Volturi?"

I nodded,

"I'd thought about that. I know it's possible to control yourself even as a newborn, or at least I've heard it has been done and even if not there will always be the hope that one day I can escape and find my quarry."

"And you are prepared for that?"

"Yes, I am. He took everything from me, it's all I have left, the only thing still keeping me from trying to end it all."

I could see I'd touched a nerve,

"You understand that, don't you? It's revenge that drives you too even if you aren't willing to explain your reason to me. So help me please."

He sighed and then sat forward holding out his hand,

"I guess if we are going to be better acquainted I should introduce myself, Darius, at your service."

I relaxed relieved, he was going to help me. I took his cool hand eagerly,

"Thank you, Darius, you have no idea what this means to me."

"Oh trust me, I do."

"I have a remote cabin in the mountains, or at least it's not mine, it's deserted but it should be perfect for our needs. Once you change me I can hunt in the mountains when I wake up, away from too many humans."

He tensed,

"What do you intend to live on?"

"I heard about vampires who live on animal blood."

He laughed,

"Your pet vampire told you that?"

I had to be careful here,

"Did he lie? I don't want to kill humans, I have other prey in mind as I told you."

"I know but you'll never make it Bella, I've only heard of a handful of vampires who never killed a human and you already have the taste for human blood."

I hadn't really thought about that, Carlisle had never tasted human blood, neither had Esme so maybe it was easier for them. I didn't think Rose had either from what Edward said but I knew he'd slipped, so had Emmett despite Carlisle's best efforts, could I do any better?

"If I can stay away from too much temptation maybe…"

"Can I offer you some advice?"

"Of course."

"If you want to feel better about yourself stay human. If not then accept humans will die at your hand. Once you get your control, you can maybe choose the kind of humans you kill to survive. Look for the bad ones, those who prey on others but accept you will be a killer. If you can't do that then you're lost before you even begin."

I wondered what Carlisle would have said in response to that, but then did I care? For all his bleeding heart humanity he hadn't given me a second thought. Maybe he was more of a vampire than he liked to think, the others too.

"What will be will be Darius. Can we go? I have nothing keeping me here and I know my dad is still looking for me. I want this over before I hurt him again."

"You know you'll break his heart don't you? He must care if he's still looking for you."

"I know, but I know it's better for him to think me dead or missing than to find him dead at my hands and he won't give up so long as I'm human and traceable, it's been hard staying a step ahead. I'm too sick to run much longer Darius, I need this and I need it now."

He got up and held out his hand again looking round the room,

"What about this place?"

"Short term rental in a fictitious name. I owe rent anyway."

I took the proffered hand glad of his strength as he hauled me to my feet then I collapsed as a pain shot through me, far stronger than any I had felt before. Strong arms wrapped themselves around my body and I felt myself lifted from my feet.

"Guess you're right Bella. We should go."

Next thing I remembered we were in his car back at the bar parking lot and then he pulled away and as I looked out the window hugging my chest I knew that finally I could think ahead, think about revenge with the knowledge I was finally beginning my journey towards it, I had won my fight with death thanks to Darius.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

 **Esme**

It had been more than a year since we left Forks yet not a day went by when I didn't feel guilty at the way we had abandoned not only Bella but the clinic and our friends. We had never run like that before, even when people started to talk about the fact we weren't ageing, this time, we had fled like cowards and I found that hard to live with. I'd spoken to Carlisle about it but as far as he was concerned it was over, we had left and there was no going back. His main concern was Edward who had spent months sulking like a little boy whose favourite toy had been snatched from him even though it had been his decision to leave Bella, not hers.

Things had been rough since the night we ran, the terrible row before Carlisle put his foot down had been bad enough but it had been merely the beginning. I hated to see my family at each other's throats but I was powerless to intervene. Once Carlisle had made the decision to back Edward there was nothing I could do but stand with my husband. Unfortunately, the others didn't see things in the same way, they were angry and frustrated.

Edward had tried to blame it all on James but none of the others were having any of that. Rose was especially vociferous in her complaints.

"You had no right to demand we leave at the snap of your fingers, dear brother. We can make our own decisions and I do not appreciate being ordered around by you or by Carlisle."

I had thought that might be the end of it even though Emmett who rarely spoke up in anger had added his own complaint.

"I like Bella, we shouldn't have treated her like that. You shouldn't have let Edward dictate to the rest of us Carlisle, I don't care how much he wanted to keep her safe. Saying goodbye was hardly going to put her in danger. Besides, James is dead, it was unfortunate what happened but she survived, we kept her alive and she was fine about it. She never even fucking blamed us, she never felt unsafe."

Everyone had been shocked by Emmett's language, he only ever swore when he was deeply upset which was almost never.

Alice had also been livid, in fact, she had marched out of the house ready to visit Bella before Carlisle and Edward stopped her. If Jasper had been there they wouldn't have gotten away with it but he had gone, a visit to friends that had been planned for weeks.

When we left a few hours later both Alice and I had text Jasper to tell him where we were going and Rose had been ringing him constantly with no success. He had a habit of turning his cell phone off when he went to visit Peter and Charlotte although he knew it frustrated the life out of Alice who didn't trust the Whitlocks and tried to keep his visits short by reminding him how much she missed him. If it had been me I would have gone with him but then she and Peter had a rather volatile hate/ hate relationship which made that all but impossible.

I knew my son would be shocked and angered by our decision once he found out, he was an honourable man and he would find running away a shameful way to treat a friend who had done nothing to deserve such treatment. It was a tense time the next few weeks as he stayed at the ranch longer than usual and when he did return it was as I had feared, only fleetingly.

It didn't take him long to grasp the situation, after all, we had moved address, luckily he collected his messages as he travelled back or he might have found himself back in the deserted house in Forks. His expression said it all but he was also extremely vocal.

"I can't stay here any longer, I'm sorry. I've never done anything like this before and I don't plan on starting now whatever you might say, Carlisle. There was no excuse for dumping Bella like that Edward, it was unkind and cruel."

"And what the hell does it matter to you Jazz? You hardly even spoke to her, she was my girlfriend so butt out."

From the flash of anger in Jasper's eyes I could see Edward was treading on very dangerous ground but as usual, he didn't see it.

"Your girlfriend? You obviously didn't care very much or you wouldn't have run away at the first sign of danger. Or did she tell you to go to hell? Maybe she'd had enough of you choking the life out of her."

"You know nothing, after all, you're the one who was a danger to her. How could I trust you to keep control with your history, I did what was best for her."

"Did you ask her? Or was this just another decision you took on her behalf? And don't try to put the blame on me, Edward, I was never any danger to Bella and you know it. You decided to leave her so you take responsibility ass hole."

"Fuck you, Hale."

Deciding I should step in before blows were exchanged and seeing Alice watching Jasper with concern I spoke.

"I'm sorry Jasper, I should have stood up for Bella, I felt like you, that it was wrong but I kept my peace."

He turned bleak cold eyes on me,

"Yes, you should Esme but you didn't. You chose to stand with Edward just like Carlisle, just like you always do. I should have known if it came to a crisis that you would all side with Edward but be warned, he's not the golden boy you all seem to think. Edward has dark thoughts just like the rest of us, he just hides them better. He didn't leave Bella because he wanted to keep her safe, how would leaving her unprotected do that? He left because he didn't want to lose face because he knew Bella didn't love him and he couldn't bear to be rejected by her. I've had enough, I'm leaving."

Edward who had stood stormy-faced beside Carlisle listening to this tirade suddenly launched himself at his brother and I really think if Carlisle and Alice hadn't intervened he might be dead right now. Jasper didn't move but I could see in his eyes that he was ready to. Alice's hand on his arm may have been what stopped him or perhaps he felt my stricken emotions. As Carlisle held Edward back Jasper just smiled,

"See, your precious Edward isn't the angel you seem to think he is."

He turned to Alice,

"I'm going to grab my things."

She nodded and followed him out of the room and up the stairs as my heart broke, the thought of losing both of them was more than I could bear after losing Bella and I sank down hiding my face in my hands and wishing I could relieve my misery with tears. I heard Carlisle talking quietly to Edward and then they were both gone from the room leaving me alone and so miserable I wanted to die.

I pulled myself together as I heard Alice and Jasper come back downstairs and walked out into the hall dreading the goodbyes I knew I must say. Jasper carried two battered bags slung over his shoulder and I was taken back in time to the first time I saw him. He and Alice had stood at the door of our house together hand in hand with the same two bags slung over the same shoulder. He was only taking with him the bare necessities, nothing he had gathered while a member of the family or so it seemed.

They stopped at the bottom of the stairs and Alice stretched up on tiptoes to kiss him,

"Be safe and happy Jasper."

I was shocked, wasn't she going with him? How could she bear to be parted any longer?

He smiled briefly,

"Take care of yourself Alice and if you ever need my help….."

She put a finger to his lips,

"I know but you need to worry about yourself, not me, I'll be fine. Don't over think this Jasper, you deserve to be happy."

He nodded then looked over her head at me.

"Thank you for the past years, I just wished they had meant more. Goodbye, Esme."

He held out his hand and I took it but the shake was perfunctory and then he was gone.

Rose and Emmett had stayed too thank God although it had been a close thing. They never regained their closeness to Carlisle or Edward, spending most of their time with me and Alice. I had tried to find out what Alice had meant when she told Jasper not to overthink things but she was close-mouthed. In fact she didn't talk about Jasper at all, or Bella, or Forks, and after a time it was almost as if we had never been there but in my heart I still felt the pain of guilt at what we had done to Bella and in my darkest moments I wanted to go back, to call her and apologize but it was far too late for that and I was afraid, far too late for my family to ever heal.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven**

 **Bella**

The pain continued inside but at least it had subsided somewhat, to something more bearable, and I tried to distract myself asking Darius how he had become a vampire.

"Long story short? I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. There was a war, I was on the losing side. Bleeding to death from a spear thrust until I found myself a vampire's lunch. Only thing was he stopped watching his back and found himself at the mercy of the Hunters."

"The hunters?"

"Yes, vampire hunting isn't exactly a new sport Bella. In fact, our existence was more well known in ancient times than now. That was before the Volturi came out with their laws, they had only just taken control of our world actually. Their predecessors weren't bothered if humans knew about us, they couldn't do anything, we were stronger, faster and had our own inbuilt weapons. Then the hunters appeared. A group of humans who had learned how to kill vampires using fire. They didn't have a very long life expectancy but they were fanatics, they didn't care. A group were hunting on the battlefield, somewhere they knew vampires would be drawn to. Luckily they didn't see me or at least thought I was dead. They killed my sire and moved on leaving me to become a vampire."

"So is that why you understand revenge? You hunted them down for letting you become a vampire?"

He laughed shaking his head,

"Hell no, they just missed me, if they hadn't I wouldn't be here now. No, that's a story for another day. So, are you going to tell me who you are going to be hunting? I might be able to help."

"I don't think so. This is my fight, not yours Darius I'm just grateful for your help."

As we reached the cabin the pains came back only much worse and I found myself unable to breathe, was I going to be too late? I couldn't even get out of the car, Darius had to carry me inside and he laid me on the barren wooden floor looking around and then squatting down beside me.

"We could wait until the pain eases but I guess there's little point really, after all, it's gonna get a whole lot worse once I bite you."

I nodded unable to speak for the agony shooting through me and he bent over taking my hand in his and turning it over to look at the scars left by James' teeth.

The pain as his own sliced into the same spot was as nothing compared to the agony in my chest but I saw my blood trickle down his chin and wondered if he would be able to stop having tasted it. Or was I destined to die up here at the hands of this strange vampire who had answered my call?

Before I could discover the answer to my question I found myself sinking into a haze of pain that grew and grew until it swamped me and I tumbled into the abyss.

 **Darius**

I watched as Bella's head bumped onto the floor waiting for the screaming to begin and perturbed when she remained silent as the grave. Was something wrong? Maybe whatever had happened to her body as a result of the earlier nomad bite was interfering with the process, maybe her body was rejecting my venom, or maybe she was just dying. Either way, I couldn't just leave her here. If by some chance she was discovered, or her dead body then the humans might be able to gain some knowledge of my species from it and that could not be allowed to happen. All I could do was to sit and wait, then if she died I could bury her body so it wouldn't be discovered and go on my way but I found that idea stirred something deep inside me, emotions I had thought long dead….sorrow and pity. There was something about Bella's determination, her courage that spoke to me. She reminded me so forcefully of my sweet Sara, I just couldn't abandon her.

It was a good idea that I decided to hang around, not because Bella died although she remained silent and still as a corpse but because two illegal hunters appeared about six hours later looking to find shelter in the cabin. I had no qualms about killing them, I was thirsty and they were to hand, then I disposed of their bodies in the mountain knowing the wild cats would ensure no one ever discovered the real cause of death if any remains were found at all.

As I washed the dirt and blood from my hands I considered what Bella had told me about living on animal blood. Whoever her mystery vampire had been he must have heard of Carlisle Cullen and his family of animal hunters but I doubted he understood just how difficult, impossible even, such a way of life was for a vampire. We were hard wired to drink human blood and fighting that need, that hunger, was almost impossible. Carlisle was the exception as there must be to every rule but even he couldn't control his family as he would have liked. I admired Carlisle for his tenacity, we'd met a couple of times before he started his crazy family scheme and a couple more times since but I never quite understood his reasoning, there were plenty of humans who deserved death, it wouldn't be difficult to pick and choose his quarry and a big group of vampires living together sounded like a recipe for disaster to me but then what did I know?

I hadn't seen or heard of him in years but I knew he would approve of Bella's idea, he would even offer to help her if he heard what she was planning for a diet although he would certainly try to talk her out of her other plans. Carlisle hated violence and even though he knew my story he always tried to persuade me to end my vendetta against Caius before it ruined my life…...now that was a joke, it WAS my life. Without that I had nothing left to keep me going, just as revenge was all Bella had left. So maybe introducing her to the Cullens wasn't such a good idea after all but something told me I shouldn't just cut her adrift. Why? She wasn't my problem, she wanted to become a vampire, I made her one, the rest was up to her.

When she woke a mere two days after I bit her she took me by surprise. I'd never seen such a quick transformation though I guess it might have been accelerated by the venom already wreaking havoc on her body. She was so calm, so quiet, and watchful, not like a newborn at all and to my own chagrin I was lulled into a false sense of security which was shattered abruptly when she suddenly launched herself at me sinking her teeth into my shoulder and ripping out a chunk of flesh before suddenly stopping and then throwing herself through the shuttered window to disappear in the dense forest outside.

Cursing my own stupidity, you'd think I was a newborn myself getting side-swiped like this, I replaced and fused back the chunk of shoulder Bella had ripped out then followed her out the window hoping my rusty tracking skills would enable me to find her before she did anything to bring attention to herself. Of course, she was faster than me and when, or if, I caught up with her she would be stronger too so I needed to be sneaky if I was going to avoid another attack.

She hadn't tried to hide her path through the forest, it was my guess she was confused and thirsty so it was good she was headed further up into the mountain not down towards civilisation. She was stopping from time to time to scan her surroundings for prey and then I caught a whiff of bear scent, well she shouldn't have too much trouble taking on a bear but then I realized that mixed in with the scent of the bear was that of a human. More illegal hunters up here? How unlucky could I get? Cursing I redoubled my effort to reach Bella only to find I was too late. Both bear and human lay dead on the forest floor and Bella was kneeling at a small stream washing the blood off her hands and face.

She turned as she heard me and I could see the bloodlust bright in her eyes, right now she was about as dangerous as a vampire could get and I was the enemy. She crouched ready to spring so I called her name hoping to get her off balance. She hesitated then shook her head and leapt knocking me to the ground where we rolled over and over both trying to get the mastery of the situation. Bella wanted to kill me as a potential threat while I just wanted to survive!


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

 **Darius**

I survived Bella, more through luck than anything, she wasn't thinking clearly, thirst and fear drove her in equal measure and I was able to get a grip of her tight enough that she couldn't get free although I found myself being treated like a dog's chew toy which was pretty fucking painful. Eventually, though the blood she had consumed helped to calm her as the thirst abated and then she relaxed in my arms although I wasn't taking any chances so I just held on.

"Darius? What happened? I remember waking up and seeing you then something snapped in my brain and I lost it. All I could think of was the burning in my throat, how I needed to stop it before it drove me crazy."

Was that all she remembered? Had she blocked the murder of the hunter from her mind or was she just not ready to face it yet?

"I thought you'd be gone when I woke up but you were still there. I…...I attacked you didn't I? Are you OK? I bit you."

"I'm a vampire, we heal quickly unless we're thirsty that is and I had a snack or two waiting for you to wake up."

She mulled that over,

"Someone came to the cabin?"

I nodded,

"And you fed on them?"

"It's what I do Bella, what all vampires do to survive, we prey on our food source which just happens to be humans. It's a fact you are going to have to face eventually."

I saw her swallow convulsively as she remembered the human blood she had drunk.

She rubbed her face with still-damp hands then stopped to watch the play of sunlight on her vampire skin before continuing, like all newborns she was easily distracted.

"Why are such monsters blessed with such beauty Darius? That hunter didn't even scream, he saw me and smiled."

"It would make hunting much harder if we appeared as monsters, Bella. We have enough going against us without that."

She mused on my words,

"I killed him and I didn't feel any remorse at the time. Now I feel sick to the pit of my stomach but at the time…."

"At the time, it was exhilarating, wonderful, liberating? The vampire's curse, the craving for the euphoria of human blood."

"I never wanted to kill anyone. I wanted to be an animal hunter like…...like those I heard about."

"And I told you it's virtually impossible. We need human blood to live, animal blood never quite satiates the thirst, it's like a human living with constant gnawing hunger."

She nodded and glanced over to where the two bodies still lay, now covered in flies drawn there by the scent of fresh blood.

"We should bury the man."

"Nope, that could cause suspicion if they find him. We leave him out here in the open the scavengers will get here first and no one will ever know what really killed him. Vampire 101, keep the secret. Remember?"

 **Bella**

I guess I'd been naive in expecting I could control myself as a newborn vampire, after all, Edward and the others had told me what it was like, mainly to try and frighten me off it was true but their tales were true. One thing I found hard to believe after tasting both human and animal blood was how Jasper after spending decades hunting humans had been able to switch to an animal blood diet. That had taken a great deal of self-control and I'm not sure I could do it. Even now I understood my body would complain at animal blood after feeling the euphoria of the human equivalent. I wasn't sure I could get through this. My brain was full of images of the human I had killed, repulsing me while at the same time every cell in my body craved more.

"You're beginning to understand aren't you?"

I hated to admit it but I knew he was right.

"If you are going to make it you are going to have to pull your shit together Bella."

"I know, I know, I just don't know how. All I can think about is blood and an all-consuming rage that's building inside my head."

"Typical newborn feelings, did you really think you could just skip all that? Or didn't your boyfriend tell you all the pitfalls?"

"I…..just shut up Darius."

Rage pulsed through me and I jumped to my feet ready to attack if he said one more word.

 **Darius**

Bella was in a dangerous place right now and she needed me although she would never admit as much. Becoming a vampire might have seemed the answer to her problems but it brought with it a whole slew of new ones, not least of which was her inability to control her rage or her thirst for blood. As I was the one who changed her it was down to me to guide her through this phase. If not and she did something incredibly stupid and gave our secret away, even to one human, the Volturi would come looking for both of us, I couldn't guarantee they wouldn't be able to trace her back to me. I just wished I was prepared to take the chance that it might be Caius who popped his head over the parapet but I doubted it and until he was dead I had to survive which meant Bella had to as well.

"Listen to me Bella. You want to live long enough to get your revenge?"

"Of course I do, you know that."

She snapped at me still rubbing her throat, a sure sign the thirst was getting the better of her once more.

"Then calm down and listen to me or we're both gonna find ourselves on a pyre."

I tensed as she hissed at me, her hands balling into fists but then slowly she nodded and relaxed a little.

"Go on then, I'm listening."

"You need something to hang on to, to focus on. If you let your vampire instincts take over you'll lose it all. Forget why you became a vampire and become a monster. Sure maybe in ten or twenty years you'll think about your ex and maybe even hunt him down but you'll have killed your way across the country, if you don't get caught and killed first that is. The rage you are feeling is normal for a newborn but it can be harnessed to your own ends."

"How?"

"Concentrate on your ex, on finding him, how you are going to get your revenge on him. If you concentrate on that you can control the rest. I should know, it's what saved me when Sara died."

I guess I should have saved my breath before she had time to take in what I was saying the thirst became too much and she ran. Was I going to spend the next few years chasing a crazy newborn? With a sigh I dusted myself down and ran off in pursuit, yep, looked like it! There was just something special about this girl, maybe her story resonated with me, we were both royally fucked up and both wanted revenge so badly we could taste it. Maybe, just maybe, if I could persuade Bella to let me help her trace her boyfriend she might be willing to help me out. Caius couldn't resist a pretty girl, vampire or human, maybe Bella could lure him out of the citadel for me. Deciding I had even more reason to keep her alive now I redoubled my efforts to catch Bella up.

This time, I was successful in stopping her from attacking the human she had scented and tracked. He was just in the wrong place at the wrong time, a flat tire had interfered with his journey to the next town, permanently if I hadn't caught her before she could launch an attack. As it was he heard the commotion in the forest but wisely decided not to find out what had caused it. If he'd seen us I would have killed him but by staying with his vehicle he lived to see another day.

Bella was beyond angry with me for foiling her attack and bit and scratched like a cougar. Luckily although she had strength on her side I had the skill and she was too enraged to use her freaky shield protection. Then her attention was diverted as the wind blew the scent of a herd of elk in our direction and I let her go to hunt them down, after all, she would thank me for it later. Mind, if this went on for long I'd find myself needing to hunt and I really didn't fancy elk or bear blood, still beggars couldn't be choosers so we'd see but one thing was for sure, I couldn't take Bella into a town full of humans, that would be like putting a hungry kid in a candy store.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine**

 **Jasper**

This last year had been a nightmare and I could see no end to it. I know what Alice expected me to do, to find Bella and….well, I still couldn't see her as the love of my life. If she had been my mate surely I would have sensed it before when she had been in my company, but I had felt nothing Well, maybe not quite nothing, I had felt protective towards her, I would have done anything to keep her safe from James.

In fact, Edward's reaction to James biting Bella had confused me. If he was as deeply in love with Bella as he professed then why would he not want her to become a vampire? Surely he wasn't thinking of loving her to her death as a human. She wanted to become one of us, she would have made a magnificent vampire, yet he baulked, even going so far as to suck the venom from her bloodstream. I was surprised that he could control himself well enough to do that and for a few minutes he went up in my estimation but when he pulled that stunt on his girlfriend, making us leave without so much as a goodbye….

How the rest of the family could possibly have believed what they were doing was right I couldn't begin to understand. I had always looked up to Carlisle for his morals and scruples so what had happened? How could he have ditched all that just on Edward's say so and the others follow meekly like sheep? Of course, I didn't blame Rosalie, she'd never made any secret of the fact she saw Bella as a danger and hated her for that reason. If I had been there perhaps I could have spoken up for Bella, insisted we give her the courtesy of a proper farewell but I wasn't and I wondered if Edward hadn't chosen that moment purely because I was absent.

Going back to Peter and Charlotte wasn't a great move either, he was elated I had finally broken free of the "Poisoned Dwarf" and "Doctor Brain Dead" and wanted to celebrate while Charlotte watched me as if waiting for something. She'd always been the perceptive one but I knew she wouldn't say anything in front of Peter and I had no idea what to say to her when she did finally corner me.

What I really needed was time to consider exactly what I should do. If Alice was right then I should go back to Forks, but how would Bella receive me? We had abandoned her without a word and she had no idea I had not been a party to that decision so why should she be happy to see me? If she was wrong…..hell, when was Alice ever wrong?

With a sigh, I realized I would be travelling north soon but first I'd take a few weeks out to spend some quality and unhurried time with my oldest and best friends. I guess I wanted to pick Charlotte's brains too, get some insight into how I should approach Bella without getting the royal order of the boot. After all, while I might recognize Bella as my mate now she was free of Edward and me of Alice, there was no guarantee she would feel the same way about me, she was human and things worked differently in her world. There was no mating pull as far as I was aware which meant I would have to woo her and I was way out of practice at the courting game!

 **Charlotte**

I wasn't sure what it was but something was bothering the Major, he was different, more uptight than usual. When he came here he could relax, be himself, but this visit was different and although Peter was crowing like a rooster, happy our friend was free of the Cullens I was more concerned for him. He tried to avoid being alone with me for the first week but I eventually cornered him when Peter popped into town unexpectedly.

"So, you gonna tell me what's bugging you, Major? Or do I have to beat it out of you?"

He looked at me warily then sighed,

"Actually, I've been trying to pluck up the courage to speak to you, Charlotte."

I smiled,

"Well, here I am and we're all alone so why don't you come sit next to me on this seat and tell me what the hell is going on. You didn't just leave the Cullens and Alice on a whim and I can guess it's something you don't want Peter to know about so I'm guessing it has something to do with a female and not Alice."

He stared out across the paddock for a long time but I was patient, I could wait.

"Alice told me about my mate."

"Well, that was good of her. What exactly did she say? Does this mate have a name?"

Again the long pause and then he turned to look at me,

"You remember me telling you about the human Edward was involved with?"

"I remember you mentioning her when you visited yes, Bella wasn't it?"

"I don't know what happened exactly but after the attack by the nomad James Edward decided it would be safer for Bella if we left, the whole family."

"Safer for who?"

"Now that's one of the questions I wanted answering. He got Carlisle to agree and the whole family did a moonlight flit while I was here with you."

"Charming! I thought Carlisle had more sense and certainly more compassion than to do that kind of thing."

"Yeah, me too. Anyway, when I got back from my last visit we'd moved on. I couldn't stay Charlotte, not after that. I'm no saint but I just couldn't stay where they'd treat someone we all liked as if she meant nothing. Hence I turned up back here."

"But not straight away. Where did you go first?"

"Nowhere special, I just took my time. I wanted to think about what Alice told me. I guess I always knew we weren't mates but I loved Alice, she changed my life around. I know Peter hated her but she helped me, Charlotte."

"I know she did, ignore Peter, he just gets jealous."

He laughed then and there was a spark of the man I knew then he became serious once more.

"She told me Bella was my mate and that I probably hadn't recognized it because of her relationship with Edward. She also said Bella had a way of hiding herself. I guess she meant her ability to stop Edward reading her mind and Alice from seeing her future. She said everything was obscured, like trying to look through a thick fog. Alice didn't explain well because she couldn't really see Bella or her future that made her nervous, all she knew was that Bella was the one. Of course, that was a few weeks ago."

I gave him a sceptical look and he grinned,

"OK, OK, I give in, six months. I wandered around a while, lost track of time while I tried to work out if Alice was just plain loco."

"So, why come here then? Why not go straight to Forks?"

He didn't answer and understanding dawned,

"You're afraid she won't give you the time of day, aren't you? You think Alice might be wrong seeing as she can't see Bella clearly."

He didn't answer me but I could see I was right, and that he'd come here for me, he knew once he told me that I would tell him what to do. Make him do what in his heart he knew was right.

"You think I should go find Bella don't you?"

"So do you. You just needed someone to tell you and I think you've wasted enough time don't you? You also know that Peter won't stay oblivious much longer, even he's not completely clueless, and do you really want him sniffing this out?"

He groaned and shook his head,

"I'm just not sure it'll work Char, she was so in love with Edward and then we just abandoned her without a word of explanation, why should she even speak to me?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out and if Alice is right you need to find her and the sooner the better."

He nodded knowing I was right and slowly stood up squeezing my shoulder.

"I should leave, I've wasted too much time already. Thank you, Charlotte."

"You can thank me by bringing her here so I can meet her, Major. Go now, don't wait for Peter to get home or he'll only prise it out of you. I'll break it to him gently when he gets back. Travel safely Major and get the girl this time."

As he went upstairs to collect his stuff I could hear him chuckling.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten**

 **Bella**

Being a vampire was much harder than Edward or any of the other Cullens had led me to believe. I found the thirst bad enough but much, much worse, was the all-consuming anger. All the rage I had built up against Edward and the others as a human seemed to be amplified until it consumed me, made me unable to think clearly.

I found myself attacking Darius for no reason before running off to find something to eat. Each time I thought he would be gone when I returned to wherever we had pitched our camp in the mountains somewhere, but there he was, nursing his latest wounds and welcoming me back as if we were friends. When I could think clearly I was grateful for his presence but that wasn't nearly often enough.

I worried I would kill again, another human, but he kept me away from them, using paths and traversing ground only a mountain cat or another vampire could manage and slowly, very slowly, I learned to be content with animal blood but the memory of the real thing was still, there in the back of my mind, tempting me with its silken whisper. I had, in my naivety, hoped I would learn control quickly but I was still struggling with my rage six months after I became a vampire and I knew if not for Darius I would be discovered or dead by now after working my way through a small town. He helped me so much that I found myself looking to him to keep me sane, or as sane as any newborn could possibly be.

I was impatient to start my hunt for the Cullens but wary of telling Darius who my prey was. The trouble was I had no idea how to go about tracing them and I couldn't keep my act together long enough to think coherently unless he was around. There was a strange feeling in my head which I wanted to talk about too although I was concerned it might be something abnormal.

"What kind of feeling Bella?"

I was fidgety, it had been hours since I hunted and then I'd only found a single deer all on its own, hardly enough for a newborn with a thirst to kill for, but I tried to pull my fuzzy thoughts together.

"I don't know, kinda like an itch you can't scratch and it's driving me crazy. Is that normal?"

"Does it ever get any better? Or worse? Depending on what you are doing or where you are?"

I thought about this, growling in frustration as my thirst kept intruding on my brain processes.

"I guess so. It's less intense when we hunt down the mountain or when I'm feeding. Worse up the mountain. Why? What does that mean?"

He blew out his cheeks and then grinned.

"I think it means that you have a mate out there somewhere, waiting to be discovered."

"MATE! No, I don't want a mate, I don't want anything getting in the way of revenge. How can I stop it?"

"You can't, it'll keep on drawing you towards him and trust me, it gets worse the longer you take and if you think the thirst for blood drives you crazy, it's nothing compared to the mating pull."

I was furious, I didn't want to hear this, I didn't want to think about a mate or the future. I just wanted to find Edward and his family and start the slaughter. They would wonder what had hit them and then they would find out what they had done to me and how I intended to repay them. I'd thought of a hundred ways to torture Edward once I too was a vampire and decided on slow spit roasting as a good idea. I would rip him to pieces and make him watch as I fed each piece to the flames and listen to his screams. I'd start with his hands as he prized them so highly for his piano playing and the good thing was that I knew I was probably the only person in this world who could sneak up on Edward undetected…. because of my shield.

There was a time restraint, though, the Cullens were older and after my newborn phase probably tougher and faster than me. I needed to hunt them down while I still had the remnants of my human blood in my system, either that or I would have to make the sacrifice and drink human blood to make me stronger again and I really didn't…...or hadn't, wanted to do that again. I had hated the idea of killing any innocent person.

"I need you to teach me to track Darius."

"So you can find your ex-boyfriend? Wouldn't you be better off hunting down your mate? Revenge changes a person and not for the better. You shouldn't let it eat you up inside like it has me, Bella, there's still hope for you, especially now we know you have a mate in my world."

I turned on him rage boiling up in me again.

"Would you give up your revenge? It must be deep rooted if you've held on to it for so long."

I knew I was snapping at him but I couldn't help it.

"No, I wouldn't and I guess it's about time I told you at least a little of my tragic story. My mate, Sara was murdered Bella and as yet I haven't been able to get my hands on her murderer but I will...eventually. So you see our reasons are very different. You were left in the lurch, yes, but you lived and before you bring it up, so did your father."

I was shocked to hear of his reason, to lose your mate to murder, that had to be terrible. His story was far more tragic, he had me there, but I wasn't willing to give up, Edward and his family had ruined my human life and almost killed my father, I wanted and needed revenge and as a vampire that craving was stronger than ever.

I snapped at him once more.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

Darius hesitated before nodding his head,

"Very well, I guess I have a responsibility to help you survive in this world but you are going to have to tell me who we are hunting."

"No, just teach me the basics, then I go alone."

"And how long do you think it will be before you kill a human again? Or lose yourself in your rage and get taken out by the Volturi, they don't take prisoners in general Bella. If they hear about you and even suspect you might be a danger to them they will kill you."

"I'll take my chances. Now, can we start?"

I was frustrated and hopeful by turns, depending on how recently I had fed. When my thirst was quenched I could think rationally, for longer and longer periods and found myself taking in everything Darius taught me easily enough but then the thirst would rise again and in my newborn rage which seemed to be connected to my thirst I would forget it all and go crazy until I found an animal to drain. I still longed for human blood, remembering its sweet taste cooling the burn in my throat and sometimes it was hard to concentrate on tracking down a deer, or elk, or if I were really lucky a mountain lion. Darius had explained that carnivore blood kept the thirst at bay longer than herbivore blood which made sense as it was more like human blood but they were scarce even up here and more often than not I was forced to drink from the latter.

I lost count of the number of times I beat up on Darius leaving him with numerous bite marks when I lost my temper but nothing seemed to phase him. It was as if he were determined to see this through with me, as my sire, although he had explained that few of our kind ever sired new vampires and then even fewer hung around to see the outcome. I knew of one, of course, good old Doctor Carlisle Cullen who nurtured and taught his newborns, moulded them into a cohesive family unit, a unit that now had a huge target painted on its collective back. I no longer had any warm feelings for any of the Cullens, all I wanted was to see them suffer for what they had done to me and as a vampire, my hatred for them grew a hundredfold.

It was another three months before I felt confident that I could control myself enough to begin my search and now I had to find a way to break free of Darius who it seemed was in no hurry to leave. Deciding the best way was just to walk away I tried that only to find him shadowing me.

"You'll have to do better than that Bella, you left yourself wide open."

"We're finished, Darius. I have my own problems to deal with. Thank you for helping me, I probably wouldn't have survived without your help but now I need to go…..alone."

"Why are you so reluctant to tell me who your ex-boyfriend is? Do you think I might disapprove of your intentions? Maybe I know him."

"Maybe you do and maybe I want to do this alone. I have my reasons now please Darius, just let me go."


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven**

 **Bella**

I couldn't seem to shake Darius off, just when I thought I had finally lost him he would reappear watching me from a distance but finally, he disappeared. I was angry and frustrated, how was I supposed to find the Cullens when I had no idea where they might be? I could travel the country for years and not find them, after all, they moved every few years anyway so they could turn up somewhere I had already visited after I left. I needed a plan but my brain was so full of frustration, rage and thirst that I couldn't concentrate properly. A little voice kept telling me if I only drank human blood I would be able to think clearly and it was becoming increasingly difficult to ignore.

After hunting down a mountain lion I thought I was calm and controlled enough to enter a town. If I could only find a list of doctors registered in the USA with their place of occupation maybe I could find the Cullens that way. Where Carlisle was I could be pretty sure Edward would be too. I was really nervous as I entered town glad it was a cloudy day but feeling vulnerable none the less. It wasn't my first foray, I'd been into towns before with Darius but it was my first time alone. I felt all eyes were on, me, was sure someone would see me for what I really was and raise the alarm but people passed me by without speaking or just nodded if they caught my eye. Luckily on my animal blood diet, I didn't have to hide crimson eyes although I could be taken for an albino with my pale skin but I guess my dark hair would have given away the lie.

I heaved a sigh of relief when I reached the town's main street and saw the library. As I walked through the doors I felt the tension lessen, surrounded by books I felt more at home, I'd always loved them and they seemed to welcome me back. I spent a little time checking the local news just to give myself time to acclimatise to being surrounded by the scent of humans in this enclosed space. I suddenly realized I had never been in such close proximity to humans since my transformation and had to stop myself from panicking. With shaking hands, I keyed Carlisle's name into the search engine of one of the computers and hit search.

"Are you alright there my dear?"

I whipped around in the chair to see the elderly librarian looking at me smiling.

"You looked a little nervous. You aren't from around here are you?"

Pulling myself together quickly I smiled back,

"No, I'm just passing through."

"Well, if you need anything…."

I nodded and went back to my hunt but the scent of her blood was strong in my nostrils and I found my mouth filling with venom, I wanted to taste that blood so badly I had to restrain myself from leaping up and attacking in front of witnesses.

I tried to concentrate on the screen where several hits were showing but none recent. The last was, in fact, an article from the Forks paper and Carlisle was only mentioned as one of the members of the clinic staff. It seemed the family kept a very low profile, understandably. Then I noticed the bottom hit which named him on staff at a Boston hospital.

"Bingo."

I clicked on it only to be disappointed, the list was ten years old and the photograph, when I pulled it up, showed a stranger. Did Carlisle have some way of manipulating the internet? If so then this was a dead end and I was left with no easy way to find the family and Edward.

Frustration flooded me, this was wrong, I had to find Edward but I was no closer than when I had been human. In my naivety I had thought becoming a vampire would make it easy to find and destroy all that Edward and his precious family held dear. I hadn't stopped to think that finding them might be difficult if not impossible. I guess if I became a nomad and spoke to every other nomad I met I might hear of their whereabouts but I might just as easily lose my life. I had seen how feared some nomads were, hell one had tried to murder me and frightened the Cullens. I heard a crack and looked down at my hand, in it was the shattered remains of the mouse I had been working with, my fist clenched around it and a sudden urge to feel human bones snap in the same way as I attacked and then fed.

My head swam, the scent of human blood thick in the air calling to me as the other occupants of the library passed to and fro books in their hands, innocent of the fact a predator walked among them. My eyes settled on a young girl who was close to the door, a pile of books in her hand and I found myself on my feet following her outside where darkness was beginning to fall. There were still some people on the street but then she turned down an alleyway a little ahead of me and I knew without a doubt I was going to kill her, the urge was overwhelming and I was powerless in its grip.

As I turned into the alley I saw her a little way ahead illuminated by the weak light at the far end where it opened out into a car park. Speeding up, silent so she couldn't hear my pursuit I closed in, my mouth full of venom at the anticipation of the feast to come. She dropped a book and stooped to pick it up as I came up behind her my mouth open ready, my eyes fixed on her throat as she turned slightly, shocked to see me so close behind. I stretched out a hand, fingers just brushing her shoulder when a voice startled us both. I had been so focused on hunting I had missed someone coming towards us.

"Let me help you with those."

My head shot up, I knew that voice and saw standing a few feet behind her Darius.

Cursing I backed away and he took the books from the girl and escorted her out of the alley to her car.

I stood shaking with suppressed excitement at the thought how close I had been to tasting human blood again and then my head cleared and I realized I had been about to kill another human and my dad's body, covered in blood, flashed before my eyes and sank to my knees appalled. I was still there when Darius reappeared and squatted down beside me.

"Not doing so well on your own are you Bella? I don't think you really thought this through did you? It's no easier for a vampire to trace people than it is for a human. That's how come vampires call on me to help find people or things."

His words cut through my agony and I looked at him stunned,

"You find people for other vampires? Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were so hell bent on doing it by yourself I didn't get much of a chance, besides now you understand that vampires aren't all powerful and omnipotent. There are plenty of drawbacks to our lives, Bella, vampires are a cursed race, you of all people should understand that by now."

I knew he was referring to the fact I had almost murdered my own dad and would probably have done so if I'd been a full vampire at the time. The urge to drink human blood was so strong it blotted out almost everything else.

I swallowed my pride,

"Will you help me?"

"So, you finally decided you need me, well that's an improvement."

"Just tell me how vampires like James can track so well, or do they use your talents as well?"

He smiled at that but it was a cold smile,

"I may be a vampire Bella but I have my limits. Even I wouldn't help a psychopath like James."

"So you knew him?"

"No, but I knew others like him. To them tracking comes easy, it's a gift they have and with it comes a thirst for the thrill of the chase. Not only would I not help one, they wouldn't think to ask for my help in the first place."


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve**

 **Jasper**

I still wasn't sure I was doing the right thing as I drove into Forks, past the Police Headquarters where Bella's father worked and the High School where I'd first seen her. I parked up at the end of her street and made my way on foot to her house climbing the porch steps slowly. What was I going to say to her? Provided that is she would even open the door if she caught a glimpse of who was waiting outside.

I knocked and waited nervously as I heard footsteps approach but I knew even before the door opened that it was Charlie not Bella and I steeled myself for a cold reception. He stared at me glacially,

"Jasper Hale? What are you doing here?"

"I'm very sorry to bother you but I wonder if I might speak to Bella, Chief Swan."

"No, you can't and I think you've got a nerve turning up here after the way you left her without a word."

"I understand your anger Chief Swan but is important."

"I'll just bet it but you still can't see her so get the hell off my porch. Better still get the hell out of Forks before I forget who I am, get my gun and run you out of town."

Looking at him closely I knew something was wrong, he looked older and very tired as if he'd been really sick for some time.

"Well? What're you waiting for? Go."

I went back to my car satisfied that Bella wasn't in the house but unsettled by her father's attitude. I understood why he would be so hostile, our leaving, or at least Edward's leaving must have been traumatic for his daughter but I thought there was more to it. Moving the car to a less visible spot I walked back to the house and waited until the lights went out.

He had gone to bed and Bella hadn't arrived home so I doubted she was expected that night so I jumped onto the window sill of the bathroom thankful Charlie had left it ajar, it saved me breaking in, and slid inside. I could hear his breathing, he wasn't asleep yet and it was laboured so I was right, he was sick. His heartbeat was too rapid as well and I wished I had Carlisle's knowledge of human anatomy and physiology.

Bella's room was empty, not just of any sign she had been here lately but desolate as if no one lived here any more. I opened the closet to find it full of black sacks each filled with neatly folded clothes, Bella's clothes. A box contained books which had once sat on the bookcase which now lay under a thick layer of dust. From the look of it, Bella had left most of her things here and gone somewhere. Had Charlie packed up her things? If so then he wasn't expecting her back any time soon. Maybe she had gone back to her mother but then why not take her things? Unless of course, Charlie was going to post them on but that didn't seem to fit with the way they were stored so what was going on? This development concerned me if Bella was my mate and there was something going on then I needed to find her.

Confused I made my way downstairs, the place looked unkempt, another sign that Bella was no longer living here. The kitchen table was covered in papers, newsprint clippings, and a map. Picking up one of the news pieces I read and began to understand at least a little. It was a Missing Person plea put in the paper by Charlie. So, Bella had gone missing and Charlie was looking for her. If he couldn't find her with all the resources of the police behind him then where the hell had she gone? Bella had no way of making herself invisible and living off the grid for an inexperienced human was pretty near impossible.

Another clipping caught my eye, this one was a news report of an attack on the Chief of Police in Forks. I snatched it up, Charlie had been attacked in his own home about a year ago. Sources at the hospital said it was a wild animal, possibly a bear or wolf. Had he been attacked by one of the Quileutes? That didn't make any sense, they were close friends. So, what had attacked Charlie and was it related to Bella's disappearance? It seemed unlikely to me that a wild animal would go into a house to attack a human, totally out of character. I snatched the clippings up again and reread them. First reports had indicated it might have been a wild animal but a later one confirmed the bite marks had been human. Visions of James flickered in my head but he was dead, I'd helped kill him and dispose of the body. Could Victoria or Laurent come looking for revenge? Nope or Charlie would be dead or a vampire himself.

I checked out the map which charted any possible sightings of Bella and if they were right then she had headed south-east before disappearing from the face of the earth. Why hadn't the police caught up with her?

I wasn't going to get any more answers from the papers so I turned to leave, only to find myself confronted by Charlie carrying a hunting rifle pointed directly at my head.

"Stay where you are Hale and tell me just what the hell you are doing breaking into my home."

How had he sneaked up on me? True, I had been distracted but I had an ear open for his footsteps on the landing and had heard nothing. I didn't know what to say and I didn't want to hurt him so I kept perfectly still.

"I told you, I'm looking for Bella."

 **Charlie**

Something had woken me, a rustling sound that was only just audible. My sleep had been disturbed by dreams of Bella which seeing one of the Cullens had stirred up again.

"You are in deep trouble young man. Breaking into the Police Chief's house wasn't very smart now was it?"

Somehow Jasper Hale looked different, it was as if I were seeing him more clearly for the first time and what I saw had me gripping my rifle more tightly.

"What the hell happened to you?"

He tensed and I instinctively pulled the trigger back not quite firing…. yet.

"I'm sorry Chief?"

"Looks like you've been in a bad accident. How the hell did you get all those scars? And why do they look so old?"

He was frowning now but less tense so I eased the trigger back to neutral.

 **Jasper**

If Charlie could see my scars then he must be a vampire yet I could smell his blood so what the hell was going on.

"What were you attacked by Chief?"

"What? I don't know. You should be asking who. They think it was a crazy from a mental institution but they never found him."

"And you didn't see who it was? Nothing at all?"

"No, nothing. The first thing I knew was waking up in the hospital hooked up to a bunch of wires with Bella sitting beside me."

"Bella was there? Where is she?"

"I have no idea. She went missing a couple of days later and I haven't heard from her since. Do you know where she is?"

He sounded desperate and looked crushed as I shook my head.

"I was hoping to find her here."

"So, she's not with Edward then? I guess I was hoping she tracked him down. At least I'd know she was safe."

"No, we haven't seen her since we left Forks."

"Ran you mean."

He sounded bitter and I held my peace, I didn't want an argument with Bella's father, I needed information.

Charlie staggered and I could see the sweat on his brow, he was in pain.

"Maybe we should sit down. I mean you no harm."

It was his turn to frown then but he slowly lowered the rifle and gestured for me to precede him into the lounge where he motioned for me to sit down.

"You have no idea where Bella is?"

He sat down himself propping the rifle beside him,

"I wish I knew. You broke in to find her? I told you she wasn't here."

"I was hoping you were lying or that I might find out where she was."

"There's nothing there to give you a clue. Trust me, I've looked. So far I haven't been able to trace her and I'm running out of time."

I couldn't imagine Bella just taking off and leaving Charlie to worry about her especially if he were sick and injured.

"She didn't turn up at the hospital after the first day and when I got out she was gone. Jake and some friends went looking for her but all they found was her truck abandoned at the bus depot in Seattle. Seems she took a Greyhound south. And she didn't come looking for Edward, you're sure?"

"No."

Charlie sighed heavily, wiped his face with a shaking hand then put the hand on his chest grimacing.

"I need a drink. Join me?"

I shook my head as he pulled a half empty bottle of scotch from the other side of his chair where it had been waiting and took a swig.

"It's the only thing that helps with the pain these days. The doctors have no idea what's wrong. They told me at first it was stress at losing Bella, pile of crap that was."

"So, you have pains? What else since this attack?"

It wasn't the wolves, I had no reason to think they would attack a friend and it wasn't a vampire or Charlie would be dead or transformed so what the hell had bitten him. The fact he could see my scars was worrying as only another vampire should have been able to do that, especially in the low light of a bulb.

"You a doctor now?"

"No but it looks like you need one, you look like crap."

He stared at me for a moment then burst out laughing.

"Well, you don't mince your words, I'll give you that. Listen, I've seen a shitload of doctors and they all shake their heads. Seems I have a blood disorder that no one has ever seen before. It's poisoning my blood and killing me slowly and painfully. So, you see it's an undertaker I need, not a doctor but I want to find my daughter before I die. I have to know she's OK. I've searched all over for clues but it's getting harder and harder. I can't do as much as I used to."

"Maybe I can help."

"You? How?"

"I think Carlisle might be able to help you with your sickness. If he can and if you are willing to let him then I'll search for Bella."

"And what makes you think you'll have more luck than me? After all, I have the police keeping an eye out all over the continental US."

"Let's just say I might have an advantage."

"Advantage?"

"Yes."

If Alice and Charlotte were right then the mating pull would lead me to Bella and now I needed to find her more than ever because if Carlisle couldn't help Charlie then I intended to ensure he saw his daughter at least once more.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen**

 **Darius**

Bella was finally ready to admit she needed help and I was happy to give it, I admired her for her persistence in drinking only animal blood even though she could see it wouldn't be possible without help. I was, however, more interested in who she was trying to track down, especially as she had been so determined to keep that bit of information to herself.

"I'd be only too happy to help you Bella but it's slightly difficult when I have no idea who you are trying to track down. Maybe a clue might aid me, say maybe a name?"

She sat silent, pondering what if anything to tell me and I knew she still didn't trust me completely. Should she try it alone with no chance of success besides luck or should she trust that I would help her if she gave me a name? That was her dilemma so I just sat beside her looking at her profile and thinking how much she reminded me of Sara although Bella's hair was much darker and her face more rounded. I knew Sara would want me to help this girl although I had no idea how I knew it so I took Bella's hand in mine gripping it tightly as she tried to pull away startled by my action.

"Listen to me Bella. Finding people and things is what I do. People come to me for information, knowledge, so I am your best bet for finding your ex. Now I know you don't trust me and maybe whoever he was has caused you to be even more distrustful so how about this. I promise if you tell me his name that I will help you to trace where he is and not judge you or try to warn him. If I know the vampire concerned then I guess that's my look out but I doubt I would be friends with a man who could treat you so badly. What do you say?"

 **Bella**

I had no choice really, I was a baby when it came to travelling through the human world as a vampire as circumstances had shown only too clearly and I knew the Cullens would be surrounded by humans. If Darius could find out where they were I could go it alone although I had been becoming accustomed to having him around and I realized he was a friend or he would have left me to kill the human and lose my final battle alone. I took a deep breath,

"You promise?"

"Yes."

"OK, I'm looking for the Cullen family, well Edward in particular."

 **Darius**

I froze, the Cullens? They were responsible for what had happened to this girl? It didn't seem possible from what I knew of them. But if it was then her ex-boyfriend was…

"Edward Cullen is your ex?"

"Why? Do you know the family? Are they friends?"

She sounded worried,

"I know of them, I met Carlisle a couple of times before he started his great experiment."

She laughed dismissively,

"You mean the family? The compassionate, love all humans, Cullen family? Well, I'm living proof they aren't as angelic as they try to make out."

"Yeah, I can see that I'm just a little taken aback, I thought Carlisle loved humans. He was always trying to heal them and of course that's how you knew so much about the animal blood diet. I would just point out that it could be their diet that made them the way they are."

"You mean cruel and uncaring? I don't care what their excuse is. They left me without a word of goodbye after pretending to be my friend. After taking me into their family. Edward lied to me and then just discarded me when he got bored. They left me with James' curse blighting my life and they are responsible for me almost killing my dad."

There was a lot of rage and guilt in Bella but I finally understood. What they had done to her, exposed her to danger, walked away taking with them her human life. I was just surprised James friends hadn't come looking for Bella, surely Carlisle and the others must have considered that possibility? Then it dawned on me that things could become potentially lethal for Bella and myself if I helped her.

"You knew the Cullens so you must know that The Major joined them some years ago."

She looked at me puzzled,

"The Major? You mean Jasper Hale? Edward told me a little about his background, mainly to frighten me away but I never found him threatening."

I grabbed her by the arms and stared directly into her eyes trying to instil the importance of what I was about to say into her.

"The Major is the most dangerous individual in our world Bella. Forget the Volturi, forget James, they are nothing compared to him. You may have seen the softer side, although I admit I wasn't aware there was one, of Jasper Hale as you knew him but trust me, I know what I'm talking about. If you strike at the family he will defend them and that means killing you and I can tell you that he won't even blink as he does it."

"I have my shield and I don't care. So long as I get to Edward first. But of course, if Carlisle is a friend of yours..."

"Not a friend Bella. I met him a couple of times as I told you but he was never a friend, in fact, I found him an idealistic fool."

The set of her jaw showed me she was relieved to hear this but still determined and I let go.

"OK, I'll see what I can find out but this is a deadly game Bella and you will end up dead."

She smiled and I could see she really didn't care so long as she got her revenge on Edward first.

 **Bella**

I hadn't taken Jasper into account but my shield would work against him too. I didn't want to fight or kill him, he had protected me against James but if he got in my way…..As I thought about him I found myself rubbing my chest unconsciously and was annoyed he made me feel concerned, after all, he might be the devil in disguise but I held the trump card this time around.

Darius had begun walking up the alley towards the car park and I ran to catch him up.

"Where are we going?"

"Well, I may be a genius but even I need the help of technology to find out where your quarry is, I'm not clairvoyant Bella and it will be quicker and easier if I have more powerful help."

"Help?"

"Just more computer power don't worry."

Satisfied I sank into a reverie following him down until we reached a road well out of town then he stopped to listen nodded and turned to me.

"We need transport and I hear a car coming so you get back into the trees."

"I can help."

"Bella, I need to feed and the car contains humans, you want me to draw you a picture?"

Understanding flooded into me and I nodded fading back into the trees and running far enough away that I wouldn't be able to smell the blood or hear the screams. The strange thing was that I didn't condemn Darius for what he was about to do. He was a vampire and doing what came naturally to our species. Maybe the Cullens were wrong, after all, they lived with constant temptation when you drank human blood the temptation went away for a time at least. Wasn't that the easier way, especially if, as Darius had pointed out, you chose your victims from the dregs of society?

I gave him twenty minutes then approached the road warily. The scent of blood was faint but still had my throat burning and Darius leant against the hood of a beat up old truck waiting for me.

"Ready?"

I nodded and we climbed in to be surrounded by the scent of stale tobacco and booze both of which I recognized but there was a third scent which was alien to me and I looked at him quizzically.

"Drugs. They were smoking crack cocaine so I did the world a favor Bella if that makes you feel any better."

It did but I hated the thought Darius might think I was judging him.

"I don't blame you for feeding on humans Darius. I just want to try the other way that's all."

He looked at me through narrowed eyes but then seeing I was determined he nodded, a grin brightening his expression as he did so and it occurred to me for the first time that he was extremely good looking when he stopped scowling.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen**

 **Alice**

I wasn't sure how much longer the family would hold together, up to now the thought of Esme's pain was all that had kept Emmett and Rose here but Edward was making things almost impossible. I think he really wanted Carlisle all to himself so he would be only too pleased to see the rest of us go. How he thought separating Esme from her mate was to be accomplished I didn't know although recently I had an uneasy feeling when I looked at her. She was as upset and feeling as unwanted as the rest of us and I knew that leaving Bella had scarred her as much as the rest of us. Carlisle just didn't see it, or maybe he just didn't want to. He'd taken to doing extra shifts at the hospital so he was rarely home and when he was he took Esme hunting. I think he was under the impression this would satisfy her but what he didn't know was that she and I were both well aware of the time he spent with Edward when he was at the clinic.

I had hoped to hear something from Jazz too, after all, it had been well over a year since he had left. Surely it couldn't take him that long to find Bella even if he did take time out to consider what I'd told him. I just hoped he hadn't decided I was crazy, he should know better but love did strange things to people.

I was out shopping with Esme when I got the first vision of Jazz and he wasn't with Bella but her dad Chief Swan! It was only a glimpse and I made light of it when Esme asked me what I'd seen. Until I knew what this meant I didn't want to tell anyone. She could tell I wasn't telling the whole truth, but she didn't push me. These days we clung to each other as our world crumbled around us. I wanted to tell her that everything would work out for the best eventually but I couldn't lie to her, I just didn't know.

The second time I was with Emmett and this time the vision was far more detailed.

"You OK Alice?"

I shook my head,

"How long before Esme and Rose get back?"

He shrugged,

"They said they'd probably take in a movie so no idea. Why?"

"I need your help, Emmett. We have to get to the freeway."

"OK, what did you see?"

I shook my head, I could explain on the way.

"Please, let's go."

Not until we were on our way did I explain what I'd seen and Emmett was as confused as me.

"Why would Jazz be bringing Chief Swan to us? It doesn't make sense. Edward will go mental, mind that might be fun."

"I think Charlie's sick, Jazz must be hoping Carlisle can help him."

"But how did Jazz know about the Chief? And what about Bella? Is she with them? I really hope so, I miss her."

"No, just Charlie. I have no idea where Bella is but Jazz needs to find her, that's why we are going to meet them and take Charlie from him."

"Jazz and Bella? Why does he need to find her? We were supposed to stay away from Forks and the Swans."

"You want to turn around?"

I know my tone was snippy but I was worried.

"Hell no, I liked the Chief, besides it'll get right up Edward's nose and that I will enjoy seeing."

 **Emmett**

I missed Jazz, he was like a real brother and though we hadn't spent a lot of time doing things together I did enjoy hunting with him when Rose wasn't available. We would laugh and chat about crazy things then compete to see who could find the best prey or find prey the quickest. Sometimes if I were in luck he might tell me a bit about his time as a Major in the Confederate army. What I really wanted to hear was about his time with Maria but that subject was taboo and I respected his decision, after all, it was a pretty horrific time for him Alice had told us that much.

All I had left now was Edward and to put it bluntly, he was a fucking moron who hadn't lived and thought he knew everything. I think that's one thing he disliked so much about Jazz and I. We'd both lived before we were turned, unlike Edward who had been tied to his mommy's apron strings. Sometimes he acted like a spoiled brat, no….make that all the time. What I could never fathom was why Carlisle who seemed in every respect to be a man of intelligence and integrity always bowed to Edward's wishes. It had irked me for years, one reason I stayed away from Edward as much as possible and then Jazz had appeared giving me someone else to moan about Edward to. He never said very much but the contempt was there in his eyes and I knew he felt the same way.

The final straw had been running away with our tails between our legs from Forks. I could hardly believe my ears when Carlisle backed Edward on this and I would have left there and then if not for Rose and Esme. Rose was staying only because to leave would break Esme's heart and she didn't deserve that although I had been surprised that she didn't speak up at the time. Rose said it was because Carlisle and she were mates but I disagreed. If Rose had wanted to do something so fucking stupid and cruel I would have spoken up, mating bond or no mating bond. Jazz did and left, and sometimes I wished I'd taken the same stand but here he was now actively hunting down Bella and Alice knew. She still wasn't giving me any details so I assumed Bella must be in some kind of trouble., After all, why else would Alice have sent Jazz looking for her? He was the best suited to keep her safe but from what? And why was he with Chief Swan? I got it that Charlie was sick and Carlisle might be able to help, he owed Bella that much at least but why not take Chief Swan to a hospital, and where was Bella? If she knew her dad was sick surely she would be with him? I wasn't the brightest star in the sky but I thought these were reasonable questions, I just hoped I would be getting some answers before we got back, after all, I had to face Rosalie and she wouldn't take a shrug too kindly when she wanted answers.

Jazz was waiting for us at a rest stop on the highway and held up a hand in recognition as I pulled up next to him. I couldn't see the Chief at first but I could hear his heartbeat, way too fast as was his breathing, yeah he was sick, real sick! Alice hopped out and flew to Jazz throwing her arms around him and I wondered if the two of them were going to be reconciled but then she stood back and I joined them. Jazz was tense, there was no love in his eyes but he did smile when I threw an arm around him and pulled him in for a man-hug.

"Good to see you man, I've missed you."

"Good to see you too Emmett. Look I don't have much time. Bella's dad is really sick and there's something weird going on. He could see my scars."

"No way! You mean he's transforming? Nah, he's way too quiet."

"I don't know what's happening just that he was attacked, bitten and now his blood is attacking his organs, killing him. The hospital was murmuring cancer but I think it's something more complex. I'm hoping Carlisle might be able to help him but I don't have time to take him, I have to find Bella."

"Fucking right you do and how dare you sneak off without me. I thought we were friends."

We all turned and saw Peter Whitlock stalk out of the bushes at the back of the rest stop smiling grimly.

Alice pulled open the back door of Jazzes car, ignoring Peter's arrival and lifted Charlie out while I kept an eye out for any human eyes but the road was mercifully clear at this time of the evening.

"Open the back of the truck Em, I'll sit with Charlie on the way back."

I did as Alice asked then once they were settled in, it was apparent Alice wasn't going to say goodbye, I called a farewell to the others who seemed deep in conversation, or in Peter's case argument and slid in behind the wheel.

"You think we'll see Jazz again?"

"Of course, if Carlisle can save Charlie Jazz will bring her to see her dad."

"And if not?"

She shrugged then smiled but there was no mirth in it,

"If not, I have no idea Em, I can't see his future or Bella's right now. Come on let's get Charlie back, the sooner Carlisle sees him the better."


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen**

 **Edward**

As Carlisle and I drew up to the house I could hear Alice's thoughts and caught my breath. No wonder she had rung Carlisle and asked him to come home so urgently. No one had mentioned that the emergency was a human! What I couldn't understand was why a sick human would have appeared at our house. It was male, I could tell that, but his thoughts were so mixed up and confused I couldn't work out who he was or why he was here. As Carlisle jumped out grabbing his bag it hit me, I could hear Emmett's thoughts clearly enough and what I discovered made me angry as well as startled. Chief Swan was here at the house and seriously ill. Who in their right mind would have brought him here to us?

 **Esme**

Rose and I had only gotten home ten minutes before Carlisle and both of us were shocked by what Alice told us. I knew this wasn't going to go down well with Edward so I didn't follow Carlisle into the house, instead, I waited for our "son" who looked thunderous as he approached.

"Who the hell brought Bella's father here? Are they mad? I told everyone I wanted no more contact between this family and the Swans, you heard, everyone did, and they all agreed."

His voice was an icy hiss and I really think he expected me to cringe back in fear, well, he'd picked the wrong person at the wrong time on this occasion.

"I remember the conversation perfectly Edward but a little differently. You stamped your foot, threw a tantrum, and got Carlisle on your side, as you always do, leaving the rest of us with little choice as he is the head of our family. Well, nominally anyway. As for Chief Swan's presence here, it has nothing to do with you and may I suggest if you find it intolerable that you leave, now."

His eyes widened, this was the first time I had ever spoken to him in this manner and it was a shock to him.

"We'll see what Carlisle has to say about this."

He tried to barge past me almost knocking me off the edge of the porch and then found himself lying face up at the foot. Emmett had come up behind me just in time to see Edward's action and had landed a punch that everyone in the house must have heard. Alice and Rose came running out to see what was happening and when they spied Edward still on the ground both girls burst out laughing.

"You watch your mouth and your actions Edward or next time I'll do more than just knock you on your ass."

With that Emmett turned and disappeared back inside followed by the girls while I watched as Edward got to his feet and brushed himself down, rage and humiliation plain in his eyes.

"He'll pay for that, you both will."

"Are you threatening me, Edward? As you can see I'm terrified."

I turned on my heels laughing inwardly and joined the others who were waiting to hear Carlisle's verdict on the Chief.

 **Carlisle**

I had been deeply shocked to hear that Chief Swan was at our house and needed my help and when I caught sight of Edward's expression I could see things were going to be extremely uncomfortable for everyone. He was livid and ranting like a lunatic, repeating his order that we all stay away from the Swans and wanting to know who had brought the Chief to our house. I told him I didn't know, Alice hadn't given me any details, just the bare bones. When he began threatening to see to whoever had broken the ban I felt I had to step in. Actually, thinking back it was probably the first time I had ever spoken to Edward in this way but I was heartily sick of his attitude which had become more overbearing ever since we left Forks.

It hadn't taken long for me to understand that I had made a huge mistake backing Edward's decision about leaving. It seemed I was in a minority of one, everyone else had been shocked and angered. While I tried not to play favorites this had taught me that I was doing just that. It hadn't mattered when it was something no one else felt strongly about but this time, it was different. The whole family were against me and their anger continued long after we settled in Chicago. I had hoped things would settle down once a few months had gone by, that Bella would be forgotten, but I was wrong. The sense of disgust and disappointment still festered and I found myself worrying that I couldn't hold my family together much longer. Even Esme who had always stood by me had become more distant. I was sure she still loved me, we were mates, but she disapproved of my actions and was certainly colder in her dealings with Edward.

There wasn't time to speak to him about this, by the time he had finished ranting, for that's what it amounted to, I was busy with my sick patient and couldn't take the time. Instead, I left him hoping he would calm down on his own. Alice and Emmett had put Charlie in my study, on the examination couch in there. That was good, it would save time. I don't know what I expected, a serious accident or a serious disease but when I walked in Charlie Swan looked as if he were trapped in the fires of hell. His whole body was shaking and his face was as white as parchment, He seemed to be conscious but his lips were moving soundlessly and his eyes hazy and unfocused.

Alice who had been holding his hand turned to me,

"I think he's dying Carlisle. He's got much worse really quickly."

"Do you have any idea what's wrong with him? Who found him like this."

She looked embarrassed,

"Jazz was in Forks, he met up with Charlie and seeing how ill he was he contacted me. Emmett and I met him on the road and brought Charlie here."

I wanted to ask why Jasper was in Forks but now was not the time, Charlie's eyes finally focused on me and the shaking subsided.

Alice left us alone and I pulled a chair over so I could talk to Charlie more comfortably, at his level.

"Hello Chief Swan, it's been a long time. Do you know where you are? Who I am?"

"Carlisle,"

"Yes, Alice tells me you met up with Jasper in Forks and he persuaded you to come to me. I'm assuming you are being treated for your complaint by your own doctor?"

He laughed, more of a bark really,

"Oh yeah. They told me to get my affairs in order. I'm dying Carlisle, some blood disorder they can't pin down but they think it might be connected to the attack."

My ears pricked up at that,

"You were attacked?"

"In my own home believe it or not. Some crazy who damn near bit my throat out. I got sick shortly after that but it's not really why I came with Jasper. I'm looking for Bella. I thought she might have gone looking for Edward. I know Jasper told me she didn't but you were my last hope."

"Bella's missing? How long has she been gone?"

"Over a year, she just upped and vanished while I was in the hospital. Never even waited to make sure I was gonna be OK. I think she was frightened."

That didn't sound like the Bella we had known but for now, I should examine Charlie and he grudgingly agreed to allow me.

"You're wasting your time doc, it's too late. The episodes are getting closer together and longer, I don't think I have much time left."

Ignoring this although I could hear by his breathing and heart rate that something was seriously wrong I asked him to strip off but it seemed this was beyond him. Luckily Emmett tapped on the door and came in and with his help Charlie was able to disrobe while I readied my equipment to take blood and other specimens to test. Charlie had lost weight, he was almost skeletally thin now and he looked deathly pale, I wondered if he were anaemic but the blood work would soon tell me that. Asking for a list of his symptoms I became more confused and at the same time more uneasy as he spoke. He had lost his appetite, not unusual in sickness, his head pounded and his joints ached, again not unusual. He said his body felt like it was on fire but not like a temperature, this was like liquid fire coursing through his veins. Emmett threw me a worried glance but I shook my head slightly in warning. I knew what he was thinking but this couldn't be, Charlie was alert and quite obviously still human.


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen**

 **Jasper**

I guess I should have known better than to think I could get away without Peter finding out there was something wrong but he had startled me with his sudden appearance. Once Alice and Emmett had driven off he stared at me and I could see he was angry.

"I thought you and I were friends, no comrades in arms, I thought if there was a problem you'd come to me, ask for my help. Instead, I had to hear about it from Charlotte and then only when I was ready to come look for you. I wonder why I get this feeling when you are in danger. I thought it was because we were close."

It occurred to me that he wasn't angry I hadn't told him but annoyed that I had confided in Charlotte instead.

"I should leave you to step in the shit Major, make a big fucking mistake but you see I value loyalty and friendship, so here I am. You gonna tell me just what the fuck is really going on or not?"

Relieved he hadn't turned and left I did my best to explain what Alice had told me and how it had been confirmed by Charlotte.

"So you see, there is no danger. Unless you call getting told to fuck off dangerous."

He shook his head,

"I don't think my antenna is going crazy because some human girl is gonna blow you off. This is different, this is real danger and you are headed straight for it."

That made me stop and think.

"You don't think Bella might be in danger from whoever attacked her dad do you? That I'm walking into a situation?"

"Sounds about right and when did you ever walk into a situation without your right-hand man Major?"

The thought Bella might be in danger gave me a strange feeling in the pit of my stomach and a familiar one in my brain. I found myself thinking once more like The Major, leaving Jasper Hale behind.

"So, you gonna use the pull to track her or my voodoo?"

I touched Peter on the arm, a gesture of thanks,

"Let's try both. You drive, I'll see if Alice got anything more from Charlie. He said he didn't see his assailant but if Bella left soon after it might be that she did, or she found out who it was."

"OK, but what I want to know is what kind of creature could attack him, leave him alive and still human? If he could see your scars then it sure wasn't a human, so what exactly are we fucking looking for?"

"I have no idea, I'm hoping Carlisle might once he examines Charlie. In the meantime let's get going."

We drove west and into the Rockies, both the pull and Peters voodoo sending us in this direction but something told me it wasn't going to be easy to find her.

"If she's running from some supernatural creature she's done well to survive so long."

"Maybe she has help. Didn't you say she was friends with the local mutts?"

"I thought of that but Charlie never said anything about Jacob or the others also going missing. I guess I'll ask Carlisle to put that question to him."

I gave time for Alice to get Charlie back to the house and Carlisle to examine him before ringing, at the same time wondering how Edward was taking the reunion with Bella's father.

"I'll bet Eddie boy is spitting nails from what you said. Didn't he give the never contact the Swans again on pain of death speech?"

I turned to Peter and smiled,

"As a matter of fact he did, so this has a little extra payback in it."

My friend laughed and put the gas pedal further down until the scenery was nothing but a blur.

 **Carlisle**

When Jasper rang Edward was in my study moaning about the fact that Bella's father was here, or more that Jasper had broken his prohibition on contacting the family. I was becoming more and more frustrated, trying to order my thoughts and the phone ringing gave me some respite as I gazed at the door meaningfully. Edward took the hint although he didn't like it and went out slamming the door petulantly behind him. I could see I was going to have words with my son soon.

"Jasper, I was expecting a call from you."

"Any news? Can you tell what attacked Charlie?"

"Well, I can tell you what didn't. No human, vampire, or wolf, was responsible."

"Talking of wolves are any of the Quileutes missing? I wondered if Bella might have help to run, Jake maybe?"

"I don't know but I'll find out. Where are you son?"

There was a perceptible pause and I realized I had addressed him as son although he had left the family, I guess old habits died hard.

"Peter and I are tracking Bella. I think she might know who or what attacked Charlie and that's why she ran. Maybe whoever it was had her in their sights and Charlie just got in the way."

"It's a possibility. I'll know more when the last of the blood tests is finished. Alice told me that Charlie could see your scars so we are definitely looking at something supernatural although apart from werewolves and vampires I don't know of any."

"Ring me if you get any news at all Carlisle and….tell Edward he's still an ass hole."

Jasper rang off with this and I had to say I was beginning to think the same thing myself.

Speak of the devil, Edward was waiting for me as I left my study to make my way to the small laboratory Rosalie and I had set up in the garage to examine the specimens and blood I had taken from Charlie.

"Carlisle you have to get rid of Chief Swan, he's not our problem. He belongs in a hospital and Alice had no right to bring him here. Who knows what might happen. Bella might come looking for him, he might die, then what will you do. This is madness and I insist you take action right now."

I stood looking at my first born in utter amazement, did her really think I would turn away a sick man?

"I'm sorry Edward but this time I'm doing what I know is right. I will not turn a sick patient away whoever he happens to be, you should know that. Besides, why are you so afraid of Bella turning up here? As it happens she's missing so I doubt she has any idea where her father is."

He scowled, Edward never liked being turned down, it was one of the things I had become accustomed to over the years and I guess I had let him get away with far too much in memory of his mother who had begged me to save her precious son. He had been spoiled before I met him but instead of changing that I had allowed him power over me, over all of us but that was about to stop and he would find it all a shock.

"If you'll excuse me I have some test results to collect."

He put out a hand to stop me passing and I stared at him,

"Don't."

He scowled,

"I want Charlie out of here Carlisle. Take him to the hospital, you can always say he just turned up at your door."

I saw Emmett at the end of the hallway looking at me questioningly so I shook my head to indicate I had the situation in hand. I knew Emmett would love an excuse to manhandle Edward, no one in the family had any time for him now and few had much time for me either since I backed him. Now I must earn back their trust or risk losing my family altogether.

"I'm glad you sent Emmett away, I'd hate to have to show him how useless he is against my gift. Too much muscle and not enough brain."

"Enough Edward. Things are going to change around here, I'm not going to be dictated to by you any longer. Now get out of my way and if I hear any more talk from you of Chief Swan being removed from my care you'll find yourself looking for somewhere new to live. Charlie stays here so get used to it or get out, the choice is yours."


	17. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen**

 **Darius**

We drove to one of my many bolt holes, I needed access to my own computer system if I was going to find the Cullens I didn't want anything traced back to me and I had heard that Emmett Cullen was something of a computer whiz himself. I doubted Bella would take the actions she so desperately thought she wanted to. Thinking about murder and actually committing it in cold blood were two very different things and I doubted she had the balls to go through with it. Killing a strange human had been enough to tear her apart emotionally, what would she do when she came face to face with the guy she had been in love with? She was very quiet on the journey and I wondered if she was already getting cold feet now she knew that finding their whereabouts was within her grasp.

 **Bella**

I couldn't believe it, I finally had a way to trace Edward and that felt good. As a human or maybe as a freaky hybrid I had wanted this so bad I could taste it but now as a vampire, the need to get my revenge was so strong it was almost painful. It hadn't occurred to me that I would have to face Jasper although as I'd told Darius Edward had warned me how dangerous he was. I'd found his presence comforting, I felt safe with him but of course, his loyalties now would lay with Alice and his family, not with the avenging angel I had become. I know he had spoken up for me when I begged Edward to let me change because Edward had bitched about it afterwards, "no one understands my motives, Bella." Well, that wasn't strictly true. I was pretty sure that Rosalie would have backed him one hundred per cent if she had been there. She hated me, she hated all humans I think but at least she was consistent and if I could spare her I would which meant, in turn, sparing Emmett but again I didn't have too much of a problem with that although after appearing to like me a lot he too had abandoned me. Maybe he had done that for his mate, it was a good enough excuse in his case but the others…...I felt nothing but disgust for them, for the way they had lied, made me feel like I was loved and wanted only to cut me off like I meant nothing to them at all.

I was surprised to find Darius had a penthouse apartment in the centre of a large city although I had been so deep in my own thoughts I had no idea which city! It was sparsely furnished, a huge computer station with a score of monitors, a huge flat screen TV and music center to match and a couple of Lazy boy leather recliners.

"Make yourself comfortable, this might take some time."

"I thought you said you were good at this."

He turned to me and the scowl was back,

"I'm the best because I don't take chances. There's always the possibility that the Cullens monitor the internet, just in case someone is looking for them and don't look so sceptical. Sometimes humans try to find people they used to know, maybe a doctor who saved their life. It might be rather awkward explaining how the doctor who saved their life thirty years ago hasn't aged don't you think?"

I admitted I hadn't really thought about that.

"So, that might be why I couldn't find anything recent?"

"Possibly but it also might have alerted them that someone is looking for them so you see, I need to be careful."

I nodded and went to look out of the huge window at the city below. It was dark and the streets lit by lamps and the neon of electronic advertisements. It looked so beautiful yet below were lots of humans all scurrying back and forth and among them like sharks swam the predators. Not necessarily vampires, humans had plenty of their own kind only too happy to prey on the weak or innocent. This got me to thinking that maybe preying on the underworld of humanity might not be such a bad thing after all. Taking out thieves, muggers, rapists and the likes would be doing the human race a good turn, just like Carlisle said he did saving the sick and injured. The difference being I was a vampire and admitted it while he pretended he was human along with his precious family. A family that would soon be missing some of its members if Darius found them for me.

I don't know how long he took, I'd been deep in my own thoughts, wondering how my dad was and if he had given up on looking for his missing daughter. I hoped so, I was sick of watching my back, it was an annoying distraction, he should get on with his own life and forget he ever had a daughter.

"OK, got them."

I rushed over,

"Where?"

He turned to look at me hesitating,

"Where Darius? You promised."

"Chicago. Carlisle is working at a teaching hospital there and they have a house in the suburbs."

A sense of relief washed over me, I had them!

"Could you do me another favour?"

He scowled again,

"Depends. You want me to kill Edward for you? Only that costs extra."

"No, I'm looking forward to doing that myself. I just wanted to know if my dad is still looking for me."

His face softened,

"Give me a few minutes."

I stood watching as his fingers flew over the keys and writing scrolled across the screens so fast even I with vampire sight found it difficult to follow.

"Looks like he's given up. The last bulletin I have mentioning you was three months ago and it seems Chief Swan hung up his badge around that time."

I frowned, my dad had quit? He was too young to retire but maybe he was looking for me himself.

"Do you know what he's doing now?"

"No, but it seems he retired on health grounds."

"What health grounds?"

I felt sick, I'd been avoiding my dad and looking for a vampire to change me and all the time my dad had been ill? Guilt flooded over me.

"I can find out but it'll take time. Medical records are pretty well secure and again I don't want to rouse any suspicion, it might have him hunting again if he thinks maybe you are looking out for him."

"Then leave it for now. I need to find the quickest way to Chicago and the address of the Cullen house."

"I'll take you, I'm not sure you're ready to sit in a plane full of humans for several hours. It wouldn't look good if the only passenger left alive when it landed was you."

"Very funny."

Of course, he was right but I could drive, if I could find a car, I had no idea how to jack one and I had no documents so I couldn't rent one. There was always a train or bus but that held the same risks as a flight. I felt frustrated and punched the wall in frustration creating a huge hole,

"Hey, cool down. See what I mean? Now just accept you need help and say thank you to Uncle Dar."

I wanted to snap at him but instead, I found myself burst out laughing.

"Uncle Dar?"

"Well, it broke your mood didn't it and think about it. You are far better off with me than on your own. We've already proved that."

I sighed,

"OK, but I owe you."

His face lit up and I could see he had been waiting for that.

"Yes, you do Bella, and when you've finished your wholesale slaughter of the Cullens I want you to do something for me."

I eyed him suspiciously,

"What?"

"I'll tell you later, just remember your debt. Now if you are ready?"

"We're leaving now?"

"Why? You having second thoughts?"

I glared at his smirk,

"No. Come on, let's find us a Cullen to kill."

I didn't recognize my own voice, there was so much malice in it, but Darius merely nodded, grabbed his laptop bag and turning out the lights we left the apartment heading for Chicago and the fulfilment of my yearning for revenge.


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen**

 **Carlisle**

I could hardly believe what I was seeing and looked at Rosalie for confirmation. It was good to be working with my daughter once more. She and Emmett had pulled away after leaving Forks and Bella, they disapproved of the decision I made there along with Esme and the others and I was beginning to think that perhaps I had made the worst mistake of my long life on this planet. However, now was not the time to be having long battles with myself or Edward over it, not that it would change anything, in the long run, what was done was done.

"Am I seeing what I think I'm seeing?"

"Well, that depends, if you are seeing venom in Charlie's blood specimen then yes although how it got there I have no idea, it's in such small quantities that he couldn't have been attacked by a vampire surely?"

"It's too weak as well, this is more like a diluted version, a mutation of vampire venom."

Rosalie was looking to me for answers but I had none, I'd never seen anything like this before and the only thing I knew for certain was that however, it had entered Charlie's system it was slowly killing him. He had been attacked, that much we knew, he'd been badly injured, bitten by what appeared to be a human mouth from the scars. It wasn't a vampire, this venom was strange, vampire yet not. The only solution that fitted was a hybrid but I'd never heard of one surviving long enough to take down a human male, bite him and leave him alive. It was a miracle Charlie was still with us, the mutated venom was spreading quickly through his body, destroying his organs without turning his body, the pain must be excruciating.

I went back to him followed by a very curious Rose and I didn't have the heart to refuse her, not now she was finally engaging with me again. Charlie struggled up to a sitting position as we entered,

"I hope you don't mind Rose being here, she's the one who examined your samples."

His eyes flickered to her but before he could speak he began to cough, long and hard and when he finished there was blood on his lips. Before I could say anything Rosalie snatched up a tissue and wiped his lips then offered him a drink from the glass on his bedside locker.

"I guess it's a little late to be looking for answers that will do any good doc?"

His voice was soft his breathing laboured.

"I never give up hope until the Grim Reaper knocks on the door Chief and he's not there quite yet."

His look told me he didn't believe my words but he nodded anyway.

I sat on the side of his bed while Rosalie pulled up a chair beside us,

"You have a problem with your blood, the doctors were right on that score although I seriously doubt they had any idea what they were looking at."

"But you do?"

I nodded,

"Yes, but then Rosalie and I have an advantage they didn't. I'm afraid what I am about to tell you may come as something of a shock but I think you were attacked by someone who had been attacked themselves….by a vampire."

There was a lengthy silence as Charlie digested that then he held up a shaking hand,

"A what? Either I'm even sicker than I thought or you just said a vampire."

"I did, vampire venom is in your bloodstream and it's slowly killing your human cells. That's why doctors couldn't understand or help you."

"But you can? You have a working knowledge of vampire venom?"

"I understand your skepticism Chief but what I'm telling you is the truth and I know this because I am a vampire myself."

He jerked back on hearing that and the movement had him coughing once more. Rosalie helped him remain sitting up until the spasm passed and once more wiped his lips and helped him drink.

"A vampire? Well, I guess I've heard it all now. Maybe I should leave."

"You are hardly in any condition to leave Chief and I am your only hope although I'm not sure how much help I can give you. You see if you'd been bitten by a vampire you would now be either dead or a vampire yourself. As it is you were bitten by something neither human nor vampire but a mixture, a hybrid. I have heard of such a creature but never encountered one myself. They are incredibly rare and don't usually live long, the venom acts on their bodies much like it is on yours but they have a certain resilience, perhaps some abnormality in their body, I don't really know."

"So am I going to die?"

"I won't lie to you, possibly, but I will do all I can. A blood transfusion might help slow things down to give us more time."

"I had one and it did seem to help for a while."

"Then that's our first task."

"So, where are you taking me? Your hospital?"

"And admit you as a vampire attack victim? I don't think so. We can do all that's necessary here so long as you are comfortable putting yourself in my hands."

"In a vampire's hands?"

He laughed then stopped as the coughing threatened to begin again.

"Sure why not. What have I got to lose?"

He looked at Rosalie,

"I guess if you're comfortable living with a vampire then I can."

Rosalie hesitated, she hated anyone knowing what she was but then she surprised me,

"I have no choice Chief Swan, I'm one too, the whole family are vampires but I promise you that you are safe here, no one preys on humans in our family."

I could see he was gauging whether she was joking but her serious face convinced him otherwise.

"Well, thank you for your honesty. I'd never have known, you keep your secret well."

"If we didn't we'd all be dead by now Chief Swan."

"Charlie, call me Charlie. I'm not a police officer any more."

He was tired and I could see he needed to sleep so I rose to leave but Charlie held out a hand to stay Rosalie.

"Would you stay a little while. I guess I really don't want to be alone. I wish Bella was here but that's not to be so I wondered if you might keep me company, just till I fall asleep."

Rose nodded, we could tell he was terrified he might die alone at any moment so I left her and went to make arrangements for the blood transfusion I hoped might give us a little extra time to work out what to do.

Edward was waiting outside my study but I walked past him in silence and shut the door before he could say anything. A closed door was my sign that I wanted to be alone and undisturbed and everyone respected that or had done until now. This time, the door opened and Edward stepped inside,

"Why are you ignoring me? You think this is my fault? This has nothing to do with us leaving Forks, Bella's dad is sick, end of story. Take him to the local hospital and we can leave, he need never know where we go."

"Edward, you should go now before one of us says something that cannot be unsaid."

He stared at me in shock, I had never asked him to leave before and he couldn't believe I had just done so.

"Is it Esme? Or Rose? Who got to you? Who persuaded you this was all my fault? You know they hate me, they resent the fact we left Forks and they are just trying to turn you against me too."

I sighed and held my tongue hoping he would leave but instead he came to me taking my shoulder then scowled,

"I see they didn't need to persuade you. It seems you have changed your mind too. You think I was wrong and cruel and you were even more wrong to back me. I am your firstborn, you can't turn your back on me, you owe me, you owe my mother."

That was it, I'd taken all I was going to from the spoiled brat that was Edward Cullen. I didn't have to speak, he read my words in my mind.

"So, spoiled brat am I? You regret agreeing to my mother's request?"

"No, just that she spoiled you and I continued that once you became a vampire because I wanted you to be happy, to be my companion. My mistake was not reining you in, it's my fault you are what you are but I can no longer continue, I must think of the others, Esme is unhappy enough, she's already lost a son and has a family barely holding together, I owe her my loyalty much more than I owe you, I'm sorry son but that's the way it has to be from now on."


	19. Chapter 19

**Chapter Nineteen**

 **Bella**

When Darius said he would take me to Chicago I expected we would be driving overland so I was amazed when I saw the sign for the airport. Before I could ask him anything we were at a gate signed for the private hangers. So, he knew someone with a private jet, well it could be worse, we would certainly be there more quickly. We pulled up outside a hanger, the doors of which were open and inside was a sleek silver jet which began to move slowly out as I watched.

"It's beautiful, I saw this kind of plane at the airport in Phoenix when I used to wait to fly up for holidays with my…..to Forks."

I couldn't speak the word, if I thought about what I had done to my dad the pain would cripple me and I needed to be strong to continue with my task.

Once it had taxied out of the hanger it came to a halt and Darius took my arm,

"You ready?"

I nodded and followed him up the steps into the luxurious interior of the plane, unsure what to expect. There was no one in the cabin,

"Take a seat and strap in we'll be taking off shortly."

"Is the pilot here? Only I saw the guy who taxied the plane out leave a minute ago."

He chuckled and I noticed how beautiful his eyes were once that guarded look left them, they reminded me of another but it took a while for me to put a name to the owner of those other eyes, they belonged to Jasper Hale.

I watched as Darius opened the cockpit door then he turned back,

"Once we're airborne you'll have to fend for yourself, there are books and magazines in the bedroom and CD's plus a DVD player and films."

"What about you?"

"Me? Oh, I'll be busy making sure we don't crash, I'm your pilot today Bella."

With that, he disappeared closing the door behind him and I sank dazed into one of the seats. Were there no ends to his talents? Was he a computer whiz and a pilot? Then it occurred to me that when you are immortal as I was now you had all the time in the world to learn new skills. I thought back to what I knew of Darius, he had been a vampire for centuries, how many changes he had seen? Would I live to see such strides forward? Or would my revenge be the end for me?

Once we had lifted off I unbuckled my seatbelt although thinking about it, I hadn't really needed one, it was a human reaction and I was somehow pleased to find I hadn't lost all my humanity, not yet anyway. I explored the plane, there was indeed a bedroom and all the things Darius had mentioned although most of the books were dedicated to computer languages and science that was way too advanced for me. I picked my way along the shelf of DVDs and found to my amusement that Darius had quite an eclectic taste. There were some of the classics, Gone with the Wind, Rebecca, Modern Times, but also westerns, Ben Hur, and even comedies although these were a little wacky for my tastes, I wasn't a fan of Monty Python or Robin Williams. In the end, I decided on Wuthering Heights, one of my favourite stories, although I hadn't seen this 1939 version with Merle Oberon and Laurence Olivier.

When Darius came through to find me I was surprised,

"Surely we haven't landed? I would know."

"I have all modern cons, Bella, including an autopilot. I just thought I'd see if you'd found anything to pique your interest."

I smiled at him,

"Thank you I did. How much longer?"

"About an hour before we land at O'Hare. I've arranged for a car to be waiting and we can decide on a strategy once we reach the hotel."

"Hotel? Listen, all this must cost a fortune and I have no money left, I guess I packed light when I ran away. I can't repay you."

He sat opposite me and took one of my hands in his, not in an intimate way but like two people making a bargain.

"Actually you can. I help you with your little plan and then you help me with mine remember our bargain?"

I narrowed my eyes,

"What plan do you have in mind?"

"I need to lure Caius Volturi out of Volterra so I can kill him and you are the best bait I have ever come across. You're beautiful which he won't be able to resist, especially when he finds out you are also gifted. We don't need to tell him how powerful your gift is because I need you to use it against him. I intend killing him for murdering my mate but so far I haven't been able to lure him out into the open."

"And if he doesn't take the bait?"

"Then I want you to give yourself to the Volturi, offer Aro your gift, I guarantee he won't be able to resist and once inside Volterra I want you to seduce Caius, lead him on then lead him straight out of the citadel where I will be waiting."

I thought about this, I didn't like the idea of seducing one of the Volturi but thinking about it I was probably the best person to lure Caius Volturi out. He couldn't harm me, my shield would ensure that but I had no idea how to be seductive, it really wasn't me. On the other hand, I owed Darius big time and if he could help me find and get my revenge on the Cullens, and Edward in particular, then my purpose for becoming a vampire would be over so why not help him? Why not rid the world, vampire world in any case, of a predator who preyed on women and not only unattached ones? I already despised this Caius and I hadn't even met him.

"OK, once I finish with the Cullens we'll go to Italy."

"Actually it might serve a useful purpose for you. The Cullens, well Carlisle, is a friend of Aro Volturi so if you plan on killing him or interfering with his "family" you might find yourself in the Volturi sights anyway. Did you know that?"

"I knew Carlisle had lived in Volterra for some time, Edward bragged about it."

"Lived in Volterra? Well, I guess that's one way of putting it. Carlisle was Volturi at one time. He spent most of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries working with the Volturi although I'm not really surprised he kept that a secret. It wouldn't fit with his compassion to humans stance now would it?"

"You mean he hunted humans?"

"I mean he was trying to find a way for vampires to walk among humans without fear of exposure which meant experiments and human subjects. I can see that shocked you, you should remember not everything is as it seems and not everyone is what they seem, Bella, you are far too trusting, that's how you got hurt before."

"Maybe, but now it's my time, my turn to do the hurting. By the time I'm finished the Cullens will no longer exist as a family and Edward will suffer this time, not me. We have a deal?"

He nodded,

"We have a deal."

After that, I felt much better as if we had a formal agreement although thinking about it logically we had agreed to aid each other in murder whether it be justified or not. As a human that would have troubled me greatly but as a vampire and an extremely vengeful one at that it seemed nothing but fair. I couldn't wait to see the Cullens again, to decide who I would kill first, Carlisle? No, that could wait, maybe Esme, the woman who had pretended to love me like a member of her family before walking away without so much as a goodbye? Or maybe Alice for lying to me and pretending I was like a sister to her before she left without a backwards glance? I knew Edward was fond of both of them but I guess we would see when we got there. I wanted time to make both Edward and Carlisle suffer before I put them out of their misery, it would depend on chance, who was the most vulnerable at the time. I didn't have to worry about Edward hearing my thoughts or Alice seeing me coming, I was invisible to both of their gifts, a little luck I intended to use to my advantage.


	20. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty**

 **Rosalie**

I was worried but I felt I couldn't talk to Carlisle, I didn't quite trust him any longer. He seemed to have had a change of heart with regard to Edward but I had seen all too often over the years that he always put Edward's needs and desires before anyone else's in the family. He never seemed to notice how resentful this made the rest of us from time to time. It annoyed the hell out of me so what it did to Esme I could only imagine. The one person I really felt I could trust was Emmett. I knew how he felt about what we did to Bella and I thought he might be able to tell me what he thought. I found him playing on his games console and asked him to come for a walk with me, I didn't want there to be any chance that Edward or anyone else might overhear this conversation.

Once we were well away from the house I found a bench in the park and sat down patting the space beside me. Emmett looked puzzled but readily took the spot and then wrapped his arm around my shoulders and pulled me close,

"What's up Rosie?"

"I'm not sure what to do Em. Carlisle and I found out something and I think I need to talk to someone but I'm not sure I should if that makes any sense."

He grinned and it reminded me just how adorable he was,

"None whatsoever. Maybe if you told me in short words I can work out what to say."

I smiled and kissed his cheek then began talking. I told him exactly what we had found and when I finished I could see he was working out what it meant.

"Let me get this straight, Charlie's blood is contaminated with vampire venom, weak but still venom, and you think it was a hybrid who attacked him?"

"Yes."

"So what about Bella? If she ran away then she must have known what happened. Maybe she thought the attacker was going to come for her too. Do you think she and her dad were targeted because of us?"

"I don't know. Carlisle says he doesn't know any hybrids so how could it be?"

"Maybe this freak heard about us and found out Bella was involved with Edward. Maybe they came looking and Charlie just got in the way."

I sighed, it seemed Em had no more idea than me.

"It's all supposition Em but I'm worried."

"Will Carlisle be able to save Charlie?"

"He doesn't know but he's going to try, that's one reason Edward is so annoyed, he wanted us to dump Charlie at the nearest ER and run."

"Sounds about right, the little fucker."

Emmett had never forgiven Edward for forcing us to leave Bella without a goodbye.

"Rose."

"Yes?"

"How are we going to find Bella?"

My heart sang, he felt the same as I did.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if it is a hybrid then maybe he's still looking for Bella. If so she's gonna need our help but how do we find her?"

"Don't forget Jazz is already looking for her but I think we should tell him about the hybrid so he's forewarned."

Emmett didn't reply, he merely took out his cell phone and hit speed dial.

Neither of us was sure that Jazz would accept a call, we hadn't spoken to him since we got back to find he had left in disgust at our betrayal of Bella. Alice had tried to reassure us that he understood why we had decided to accept Carlisle's direction at the time but personally I thought he blamed Emmett if not me. I'd never made any secret of my hatred for Bella, how I thought her an unnecessary danger to our family but Emmett had befriended her, the only time he ever argued with me. I knew it had hurt Emmett greatly and he had never gotten over it, he still felt guilty and couldn't bring himself to be civil to Edward.

He barely spoke to Carlisle either, much to our "father's" anguish. The others had always seen Emmett as the amiable giant, the soft and rather stupid buffoon but they had found themselves totally wrong, he was, in fact, a very honourable man who had a strong sense of right and wrong, he just chose to enjoy life and see it as one long vacation, everything was a game and only when Jazz and Alice joined us did he find a kindred spirit. Not so much in Alice who was always happy to join in his fun and games but in the reserved and quiet Jasper who although he said little was as competitive as Emmett, the two were soon firm friends much to Edward's disgust, he hated not coming first and Jasper treated him with utter contempt, ignoring him most of the time.

So, I waited with bated breath until I heard our brother's voice,

"Em? What's the matter?"

"Hey there Jazz, good to hear your voice, man."

I listened in as Emmett explained our concerns to our brother, would he think we were being overly cautious?

"So you think there's a hybrid on the loose? Maybe looking for Bella? Thanks for the heads up, how is Chief Swan doing?"

Emmett handed the phone to me to answer that question and I told him exactly what we had found and that Carlisle wasn't sure he could help to save Charlie.

"Has Carlisle even met a hybrid? I thought they were largely a myth and don't you think it's something of a coincidence that a hybrid turns up in Forks and singles out the Swan's to attack?"

I thought about this and then something hit me,

"Do you think Victoria is responsible? We killed James, her mate, so she finds a hybrid or knows one and uses them to get revenge? I guess it makes as much sense as anything and I know that hasn't occurred to Carlisle. Hell, it never occurred to any of us. Maybe we can track down Victoria if she knows the hybrid maybe we can get an antidote from them."

"You do what you have to Rose. Peter and I are tracking Bella although that's proving more difficult than we anticipated."

"Why?"

"Well, we had pretty good intelligence that she was in Wyoming somewhere but now she seems to be headed north."

"Do you think she's going back to check on her dad?"

"I have no idea, Rose, just keep me posted. If anything happens to Charlie I need to know."

 **Jasper**

I was aware of Peter glaring at me and glad he kept the explosion until Rose rang off.

"What the fuck is this about Bella headed north? I thought you said she was in Wyoming, that's why we drove all the way to this fucking hell-hole."

"She was but something has changed, I'm being pulled north now."

"Great, we could be chasing our tail for weeks if she keeps changing her fucking mind."

"I could, not you. I want you to try and find Victoria."

"The tracker's mate? I'll be amazed if she's still alive with her mate dead but I guess revenge might be enough to keep her going for a while. Any idea where to start looking?"

I shook my head then smiled,

"Nope, but I know of someone who might be able to help, for a fee."

Peter groaned,

"Darius? Do we have to? I hate that fucker, he's always so fucking smug."

"He can afford to be, he has the answers and we don't. I'll drop you off at the next town we hit. I'll give you his number, whatever he wants agree to it. Tell him The Major always pays his debts."

"No, I'm not leaving your side Major, just pull over, I'll drive, you ring." I wasn't going to get into a fight with Peter, I just reeled off the number and continued driving, I had to be doing something or I'd go mad. .Peter wasn't happy but he tapped in the number I'd given him, he knew as well as I did that Darius might be our only chance at tracing Victoria or Bella quickly enough to make a difference.


	21. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty One**

 **Darius**

We were at the hotel having just checked in when I got the first interesting phone call. Bella was out on the balcony looking out over downtown Chicago and wondering exactly where her targets were right now. I had promised her that as soon as night fell we would go out on a reconnaissance patrol, unfortunately, the minute we reached the hotel the sun broke through the clouds making it impossible for us to leave our room.

I answered the call with interest, it was my business number, so a vampire wanting information.

"Yes?"

"Darius? I need to locate someone."

"And?"

I recognized the voice although I had heard it only once before and my interest was piqued, this was Captain Whitlock, The Major's sidekick. I wondered what he wanted a hint of a smile on my face.

"The Major wants to locate someone."

This just got better, was he looking for Bella? Had word got out that she was looking for the Cullens? Well, the fact he was looking for her and asking for help meant he had no idea where she was and if I had my way he would continue to be ignorant.

"Name?"

"Victoria, she's a nomad. Used to run with a Laurent and James the latter being a tracker."

Well this wasn't what I expected at all but then again the name James had appeared in Bella's story.

"That's all you have for me?"

"If I had more I wouldn't be calling you, now would I?"

Oh, how he hated having to ask for help and my smile widened.

"And this is for The Major? Can I ask why he wants to find her?"

"No, you can't and yes it is for him and he needs it double fucking quick."

"Then I don't have time to stand chatting to you now do I?"

I cut him off knowing he would fume for the next few hours, it was so easy to push Peters buttons, too easy really but I needed to know how this connected to Bella so I went to join her.

 **Bella**

I was frustrated by the sun's appearance but it was something I had to get used to. The scent of so much human blood was almost overwhelming but I was controlling my thirst…. just. Then I heard a name that had my body stiffen, Victoria! Who was Darius talking to? I was relieved when he rang off and rejoined me on the balcony.

"It seems your friend The Major is looking for a nomad called Victoria, any ideas why?"

I shook my head,

"You mean Jasper? Was that him? I didn't recognize the voice."

"Nope, it was his brain dead sidekick Peter Whitlock. Didn't you say that the guy who attacked you was called James and he ran with his mate Victoria?"

"Yes, Victoria and Laurent. But why would Jasper be looking for her?"

Darius shrugged,

"I have no idea but I don't like coincidences so the sooner we find Edward and the others the better. At least we don't have to worry about The Major."

"Why?"

"He's going to be chasing down this Victoria and now he's joined up with Peter I can be certain that he's left the Cullen family, just as a little birdie informed me."

I turned on him,

"He did? Who told you? How long have you known?"

Darius held up a hand to stop me,

"Hey, we're on the same side, remember? I did a quick search for him, his friend just called us from Wyoming which is a little disturbing seeing as that's where I met you. I had feelers out to find him and I was told he left the Cullens a while back. I got the text message just a little while ago, you knew almost as soon as I did."

I pondered this latest development not that it mattered to me, I was more interested in the others, Esme, Carlisle, and Edward in particular although the way I was feeling right now even Emmett or Rosalie would do for starters. I found my thirst for revenge overtaking everything else, even my thirst for human blood. I was about to ask him when we were leaving but his phone buzzed once more and he put a finger to his lips warning me to remain silent as he strolled back inside to answer.

 **Darius**

Well, well, I was proving to be popular today, sometimes my business phone didn't ring for weeks or months and here were two calls in the same hour.

"Yes?"

"Is that Darius?"

"Who wants to know?"

"I…..My…..I heard about your particular skills from a friend."

"How about a name? I don't talk to people unless they identify themselves."

"My name is Edward Cullen. I think you know Carlisle."

Edward Cullen! Now things were getting even more interesting,

"And what is it you think I can help you with Edward Cullen."

"I heard how you can find things."

"Things? I think you have me confused with the lost and found office."

"Sorry, I meant people."

"Who's lost?"

There was a long pause, so he wasn't sure he should trust me.

"I don't have all day so just spit it out or get off the line."

"I'm sorry, I'm trying to find a human I believe is on the run."

I had stopped my pacing as I saw Bella framed in the doorway her face set and angry, she'd recognized this voice.

"I don't find humans Edward Cullen and even if I did can you afford my fee?"

"Money isn't a problem and I don't have any other way of finding her."

"Her?"

"Yes, the name is Isabella Swan. She was living in Forks Washington but she ran away when her father was attacked and I'm worried she's in danger."

I thought he was saying much more than he would normally have done, he was nervous.

I threw Bella a warning look as I saw the rage in her eyes and then smiled.

"My fee is $150,000….. paid in advance."

It was higher than usual for such a simple task but I didn't like the asshole. He hesitated then realized he had no choice,

"Very well, tell me how to make the payment. How quickly can you find her?"

"You pay then you'll find out."

I gave him an account number and rang off before he could ask anything else.

Bella glared at me,

"Are you going to sell me to him?"

"Idiot, I thought you could do with some money to get you set up in your new life, may as well be Cullen money. Now, where do we send Edward Cullen? I assume you'd rather he was out of the way while you made a start on your plan? Or would you rather kill him and be done with it?"

"Send him away, let him hear the news so it comes as a shock."

I looked at her and grinned,

"Let's send him to meet our other clients, shall we? Keep them all together in one place, somewhere we know is far enough from the house that they can't interfere. This is going to be easier than I thought."

"Why is he suddenly so desperate to find me? How does he know I ran away? How does he know my dad was attacked? Has he been watching me? This doesn't make any sense. The whole family left without a word, except Edward who was a real bastard, and now suddenly two of them are looking for connections to me. There's something wrong, somehow they know I'm on the run."

"Maybe they heard about your father's attack and put two and two together deciding it might have been James mate who was responsible."

"But Charlie wasn't killed or changed so that rules Victoria out surely?"

I shrugged,

"Maybe they think she got someone to help her, someone like you were, neither one nor the other."

"But why are they bothering now? They couldn't wait to dump me so why the interest now?"

"I guess that's something you'll have to ask them before you kill them, Bella. I can hardly ask without raising suspicions. Anyway, it'll be dusk in an hour and we can finally get out of this room and go see where the Cullens presently call home."


	22. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty Two**

 **Carlisle**

I had spent my shift at the hospital thinking about Charlie's symptoms and I was sure I was right, it had been a hybrid attack but the coincidence didn't sit well with me. We had arrived in Forks and Edward fell for Bella. She was attacked by James and then we left. How likely was it that a random hybrid had just chanced across Forks, the Swans and attacked Charlie in his own home? While we had lived in Forks the only nomads we encountered were James and his little group. It was out of the way, sparsely populated so disappearances would be more noticeable and slap bang next to a village full of guardians. No vampire in his right mind would settle on Forks for an attack and even if they had, why Charlie in his own house? Most nomads stayed away from human dwellings, they hunted outdoors and in solitude. If the hybrid had snatched Charlie from his yard or car and his body devoid of blood had been found in the forest I might be able to stretch to a maybe but this was different, this felt all wrong.

Alice rang me with an update on Charlie, the transfusion had helped, he was more comfortable and a little stronger but I knew we were fighting a losing battle. The venom in Charlie's system would attack the fresh blood giving his organs some respite but they were damaged beyond repair already, in short, he was dying and all I could do was to delay the inevitable. I hated losing a patient, especially one I had counted a friend but I didn't know what to do. It had crossed my mind to add more venom in the hopes it would overwhelm his human body and complete the transformation but I was afraid in case I just made the end more painful and rapid for him. I had little to go on, only tales of hybrids and no one seemed to know how they came into being. Once bitten by a vampire transformation was inevitable. There were stories of females who became hybrids after mating with a vampire so maybe only the venom injected straight into the bloodstream caused the change but Charlie wasn't female or gay so I could rule that out! Which left me with precisely nothing. I had also heard that the hybrid females rarely lived long and that injecting fresh venom into their bloodstream did nothing good, just accelerated the end.

I drove home distracted, glad of my vampire senses to keep me safe on the road. Something was niggling at the back of my brain, something important but it was too nebulous for me to get a firm grip on. I hoped Edward was out or busy, I couldn't face another of his tantrums right now and I knew he and Esme had exchanged words over Charlie being there too. I could see the time coming when there would have to be a showdown, I had allowed things to drag on far too long and now I must make a stand but I was preoccupied and didn't want it to be right now although I knew I couldn't put the confrontation off much longer.

It was as I pulled up outside the house that my brain finally gave up its secret and I sat there feeling as if I had been hit by an express train, it was so obvious once you put the evidence together and I knew just how culpable we were for what had happened to Charlie and more importantly to poor Bella. I looked up startled when there was a tap on my window and I turned my head to see Esme standing there looking concerned. I managed a smile for her as she opened my door,

"What's wrong? Why are you just sitting there?"

"Is Edward in the house?"

"Yes, he's upstairs in his room listening to music and reading, why?"

"Get in Esme."

She joined me without question and I drove to a picnic area a few miles away before parking up.

"I'd like to think you're parking here so we can make out Carlisle but something tells me I'd be wrong. What's the matter? You're worrying me."

"I think I know who attacked Charlie, Esme and why Bella ran away and I'm afraid it's all our fault."

She looked puzzled,

"But we left so long ago, how can it be our fault?"

She put a hand to her mouth with a little gasp, her eyes going wide,

"Please tell me we didn't leave her unprotected and James' friends came looking for her, for us? Oh, Carlisle."

I would have given anything to be able to sooth her but the truth had to be told. I took her hands in mine and looked into her face,

"I'm afraid it's worse than that Esme. Do you remember Bella being attacked by James?"

"Yes, you told me all about it when you got back, I was so relieved he hadn't killed her although I was stunned Edward had insisted on saving her human life, why?"

"He didn't save her Esme. He thought he had but all he did was to make things much worse and by insisting we leave he condemned her to hell on earth."

"I don't understand Carlisle, what do you mean? What happened?"

"Edward didn't clear out all James venom, I suppose I should have realized that would be impossible and what was left in her bloodstream began attacking her. Bella has become a hybrid, it was she who attacked Charlie."

Esme rocked back in her seat,

"What? NO, Bella loved her father she would never have harmed him."

"I don't think she was aware of what she was doing until it was almost too late. The vampire in her took over, the thirst for blood, probably the rage. I heard that hybrids are more deadly and unpredictable than full vampires, they are called cursed humans for a reason Esme."

"So Bella came to her senses, saw what she had done, saved her father then ran away?"

"Yes, once she understood it would or might happen again she had no choice but to leave."

"But where is she? What's happening to her? Is she suffering like Charlie? Is it killing her too?"

"I don't know Esme, I don't know where she is or what shape she's in but there's a good chance she is already dead."

"No, she can't be Carlisle. We have to find her, save her and tell her we are helping her father."

"Are we, though? I'm just delaying the inevitable Esme, Charlie is dying and I don't know how to save him."

"Then find out, talk to your friends in Volterra. If there is a way they will know."

"They might not help and if they do there will be a price to pay."

"I don't care, Carlisle, we owe Bella and her father that much, this is all our fault."

I nodded, she was right of course, it was all our fault. If we hadn't left I might have been able to help Bella and her father probably wouldn't be dying right now.

"Why haven't you discussed changing Charlie? It's the first thing that came to my mind."

"Because I have no idea if it would work, I'm blind here Esme. He is a second generation hybrid, he wasn't bitten by a vampire Esme but a hybrid and I'm afraid adding more venom to his system won't stop the damage being caused. I think it will merely speed up his death. If venom were going to change him it would be working now and it's not, it's destroying him."

She stared at me in silence and I sighed then took out my cell phone and keyed in a number I remembered only too well but hadn't used in years. As I waited for it to be answered she opened her door and stepped out her own phone in her hand and I wondered who she was calling, Alice, Rosalie, or Jasper, I knew it wouldn't be Edward although he would find out soon enough.


	23. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty Three**

 **Carlisle**

It took me some time to finally get through to Aro himself, they were much more security conscious than when I had last contacted Volterra and I had to wonder why. Was there some real threat to the Volturi or was the care down to Aro's innate suspicion of everyone, including a lot of those he knew well and considered friends? Eventually I was put through to him and the familiar voice warm with delight spoke my name.

"Carlisle, how wonderful to hear from you after such a long silence. I hope you are well, your "family" too. Are you ringing to arrange a visit? It's been too long since we last talked in any depth, especially face to face. If I were a suspicious man I would think you had been avoiding me"

I ignored the barb, it had nettled Aro that I chose a life among humans rather than with my friends in Volterra.

"Yes, I'm sorry, life seems to be so crowded these days."

"Of course, but then splitting your time between your "family" and your work with the humans must be hard, it's all too easy to forget your friends."

He was hurt by my long absence and that would make my task a little harder.

"I actually rang for some information, my friend."

"Oh? Now, what could you possibly need to know that is still a secret to you?"

"What can you tell me about hybrids?"

He paused and I could almost hear the wheels turning in his head,

"Hybrids? Very little in actual fact. They are extremely rare, why?"

In for a penny I thought,

"I have a human who appears to have been bitten by a hybrid."

"I see, then I suggest you put him or her out of their misery now."

"Is there no way of reversing the damage? I had considered trying to complete the transformation."

"An unwise move, I doubt your human would survive. The problem is that although your human has venom in their bloodstream it is too weak to turn them, all it is doing is poisoning their system. Adding more venom now would only accelerate that damage as the hybrid venom is fundamentally different and would attack the pure venom, you would merely be turning the human's body into more of a battleground."

"That thought had concerned me. So, is there nothing I can do?"

"May I ask why you want to? Where is the hybrid who caused this?"

He sounded way too eager now and I understood I had put both Bella and Charlie in more danger and not necessarily helped Charlie at all.

"I have no idea, the human was a friend of the family, we found him after the attack."

"A human friend? How very…..novel. There is something you could try but it means bringing the human here to Volterra."

"Really? What?"

"There is a possible antidote to the hybrid venom that I understand sometimes works although I have never seen it in action myself. We have it stored here under secure conditions. I would be interested to see it at work."

"An antidote? Is that even possible?"

"Bring your human here and we will see old friend."

I didn't like the way this was panning out but I had few options and any chance that Charlie could be saved was worth pursuing.

"Very well, I'll speak to my friend and then make arrangements to fly to Italy."

"Actually, I might be able to assist you there Carlisle. Coincidentally the Volturi jet is at present waiting in Boston for some associates of ours who had business there. I can have it flown to Chicago for your convenience, much easier and less complicated than finding an airline willing to take someone who is quite obviously sick, and no awkward questions."

"Very well but as I say I have to speak to my patient first, I'll contact you afterwards."

"I look forward to seeing you again my friend, why don't you bring Esme, make it into a vacation? You would both be welcome to stay on, the others too if they are interested."

It didn't take long to tell Charlie what Aro had said,

"But it must be your decision, once there you may never be allowed to leave again and you will be living among vampires."

"Do you believe him? Could there be some antidote? Some cure?"

I thought about this, I didn't think Aro was lying but he had a habit of warping the truth to suit his own ends and a human bitten by a hybrid would certainly intrigue him.

"I can't say for sure but I guess it's your only throw of the dice left. I'll be blunt Charlie, I can't save you."

He nodded,

"Then I guess I'm out of options. Will you promise me something though Carlisle?"

"If I can Charlie, of course."

"Will you find Bella and make sure she's OK. I don't know what happened after I was attacked, only that she ran. Maybe she was afraid or in shock but she's my daughter."

I nodded,

"I'll do what I can."

"Thanks. How do we get to Italy then?"

While Esme packed and Alice sat with Charlie I filled Rose and Emmett in on what was going on. They were scared for me, going to Volterra but they understood why. When I told them what I had promised Charlie they agreed to help Jasper find Bella although Alice had been confident he would do it anyway.

"If we have to stay in Volterra I want you to stay together as a family."

"Have to stay? Why?"

I took Rosalie's hand and squeezed it reassuringly.

"Sometimes Aro becomes sentimental, he never wanted me to leave in the first place and with Charlie there I think he might use the excuse he needs someone with a working knowledge of human medicine there too. I'm not saying he will, or that it will be permanent but I don't want the family to fragment. Stay together for me, for Esme, we will come back I promise."

She nodded but looked grave,

"Does Edward know you're going? I'm surprised he isn't itching to go with you. He thinks his gift makes him special as far as the Volturi are concerned."

"That's one reason I haven't told him. I've no idea where he is right now but you can tell him when he returns. Aro might hold on to me for a while but I couldn't guarantee he would ever release Edward."

Emmett and Rose insisted on driving us to the airport, there was no time to delay and I knew that Aro would have already sent the plane to Chicago in hopes of getting his hands on a second generation hybrid and I was right. I rang him from the car only to find a mediflight had been arranged for Charlie and would be at the airport ready when we arrived.

"I thought under the circumstances speed and medical intervention were probably the best route to go Carlisle. I'll have an ambulance standing by in Pisa too."

Charlie had looked better for the blood transfusion earlier but the pallor was gradually seeping back and I knew we were already on borrowed time so I was grateful to Aro for his forethought. If they had blood on board so we could give Charlie another transfusion en-route he might just make it in time for any "antidote" Aro had to be of use. We said goodbye to Rose and Emmett while two attendants lifted Charlie onto a waiting trolley and then followed it inside the small terminal building and into the waiting plane.

Take off was fast, nobody was wasting any of Charlie's precious but dwindling supply of time and once I had set up a fresh transfusion and he was sleeping, exhausted by the short trip I sat down with Esme who took my hand and smiled,

"You're a good man Carlisle. Even knowing you might not be allowed to leave again you are going to Volterra."

"I think I owe it to Charlie…..and Bella, Esme. We treated them so badly and I bear full responsibility for that but you didn't have to come. You could have stayed behind with the family."

"How could I? My place is at your side Carlisle and we are both equally guilty. Besides, I couldn't have you a single man among all those beauties in the citadel."

I laughed at her joke but wondered if I would ever see the rest of the family again and more than that would I be able to save Charlie? And if I did, if Aro did, would he be a vampire or human? If human then I would have taken him to his death, for a human could not know our secret.


	24. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four**

 **Bella**

Finally we were getting out of this hotel room to find my quarry, I could feel the excitement of the hunt beginning to rise up. Is this how Jasper had felt when he was serving under Maria in Mexico? Edward had told me enough to know Jasper had been a cruel and bloodthirsty monster then although it never quite sat right with me, not with the Jasper Hale I knew but then I wasn't the same Bella any more so why couldn't he change too? I soon shook off such thoughts to concentrate on how close I was to finally getting some revenge. The sight of my dad laying in a pool of his own blood, half dead from my attack on him haunted me and someone, some ones were going to pay for that. I couldn't bear to think that I might have killed him. It was all their fault after all. If Edward hadn't insisted on sucking out James' venom, if the family hadn't deserted me then I could still be home in Forks with my dad and he wouldn't have almost died at my hands, those thoughts went round and round inside my head, fuelling my rage.

I heard a low snarl and turned but then realized it had originated in my own throat. Darius took my arm in warning but I shrugged him off angrily.

"Chill out Bella or you're gonna expose us both and then you'll never get your revenge. Stop here a minute."

I looked around, we were in the shadow of some derelict buildings,

"Why?"

"I need to make a couple of calls."

I scowled but he grabbed me again to keep my attention on him,

"You wanted me to get Edward away from the others didn't you?"

I nodded leaning against a heavily graffitied wall and crossing my arms, what were a few more minutes to me now I was this close?

I listened as Darius rang Edward first,

"You found her?"

"You paid, I deliver."

"Where is she?"

"O'Hare, or she will be in a couple of hours when her plane lands so if you want to talk to her….."

"Thank you,"

I had wondered if hearing Edward's voice again would affect me. Well it did, but not with longing or sorrow, it just intensified my desire to make him suffer.

Darius next call was to Jasper and for some strange reason I was relieved to hear the stranger, Jasper's friend Peter, answer

"About fucking time, where is she Darius?"

"Hello to you too Whitlock. I could just put the phone down you know."

"Yeah, yeah, give."

"Remember you owe me and I intend collecting some day."

"I know, you already told me, now where is she because I get the feeling something pretty fucking serious is going down soon and I'd rather not be around when it does."

I could see Darius was made uncomfortable by Peter's words, did he know something we didn't or were his feelings connected to what I was about to do?

"O'Hare, two hours. Plane coming in from Phoenix."

I smiled, putting Jasper and Edward together would be fun, especially when they found out they had both been duped.

"Shall we?"

Darius held out his arm and I took it, walking beside him like we were out on a date, but this date was going to be dramatically different.

 **Jasper**

Peter almost threw the phone through the wind shield,

"I hate that fucker."

"Never mind, he came through and that's what's important. I wonder why she's flown into O'Hare. Do you think she's traced the family?"

"Well if she has let's hope it's not because she's going to beg that idiot Edward to take her back."

Peter went silent and I glanced at him to see a frown cross his face,

"What?"

He gave a dismissive gesture but I pressed him,

"That crap about a feeling, was it just to wind Darius up?"

He shook his head but he still didn't elaborate so I pulled up at the side of the road. It wasn't like Peter to go quiet and that worried me.

"Spill."

"There's big trouble headed our way, I can feel it and I don't mean a speeding ticket Major. I'm talking huge fucking trouble but I can't pin it down."

"Is it connected with finding Bella? Do you think the hybrid is close? Maybe waiting for Victoria at O'Hare? Maybe Bella's there and Victoria knows it."

"I don't know but something is very fucking wrong."

Before I could ask anything else my own phone rang and looking at the screen I was surprised to see Esme's number.

"Esme? Has something happened? Is it Charlie?"

"No, no, he's as well as can be expected although Carlisle isn't sure how much he can help. Jasper, Carlisle thinks it was Bella who attacked her father."

"He what?"

"He thinks there was some of James venom left in her system and she's become a hybrid, she's the one who attacked Charlie but she stopped herself before she killed him and that's why she ran. We haven't said anything to Charlie yet obviously but if you are looking for her you need to be careful."

I was having a hard time getting my head around this, Bella attacked and almost killed her own father? That would have destroyed her, she loved Charlie, no wonder she ran.

"I have a lead on her Esme, don't worry, we'll find her and hopefully we can reunite her with her dad. Tell Carlisle to find a way of saving Charlie, Bella won't survive if he dies, she loves her dad."

"I know, and we will but take care, Carlisle says she could be volatile."

I put my phone away and started the car speeding towards Chicago. We just had time to get to the airport, hopefully the plane would be delayed or the customs would be on a go slow. It would give us time to get into position.

"Could this be responsible for your feeling?"

Peter shrugged,

"I guess so, maybe, but we should be careful just in case it's not."

"So, if Bella is responsible for the attack on Charlie then Victoria has nothing to do with this. She probably doesn't even know Bella was bitten by James. The hybrid and Bella are one and the same."

"OK then, why is Victoria flying into Chicago? Just pure fucking coincidence?"

"I doubt that, either she is hunting Bella and that would fit with her appearing in Chicago because I'm pretty sure that's where the pull is taking us now or Darius got it wrong and that seems unlikely from his reputation."

"Either way we can't take any chances."

"Nope so let's get there and find out just what is going on."

Peter became very quiet which was unusual for him, when that happened it didn't bode well for someone. I left him to it and concentrated on getting every bit of speed I could from this car although the engine was already screaming in protest. If Victoria did appear I would find out what she knew about Bella and then kill her. Leaving her alive was just not an option, she was too much of a threat to Bella. The closer we got to Chicago the more convinced I was that Bella was already here and I hoped it was because she was looking for help from Carlisle or tracking Charlie. If so then she would soon be safe and we could talk. I would help her learn control and at the same time discover if she really was my mate, I still couldn't quite bring myself to believe it could be true.

"Major."

"What?"

"If this girl Bella is the hybrid who attacked her father then where has she been all this time? I mean, she lost control and almost killed her own dad so we know she doesn't have control of her rage. Why hasn't she left a trail of dead bodies in her wake?"

He had a good point,

"I don't know. Maybe the shock of what she did to Charlie has something to do with it."

He looked at me skeptically,

"You think?"

"Well what's your take on it?"

He shook his head,

"I don't know but it makes me even more concerned. I can't see a new hybrid gaining control that well that quickly, there's something we aren't seeing."

I agreed but there was nothing we could do about it until we found Bella and first we needed to talk to Victoria.


	25. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five**

 **Bella**

As we approached the street where the Cullens now resided I felt a strange excitement, as if every fibre of my being were taut like a bowstring at full tension. All my senses were heightened, the night was full of sounds, the wind in the leaves, the distant sound of voices, the scurry of insects in the bushes. The street itself was deserted, the houses set well back down long private drives, their grounds enormous. Giving just the right solitude for a family of vampires. The houses petered out as we continued walking, the road winding through thick woods on its way out of town.

When Darius motioned for me to stop I looked ahead and saw a hidden driveway, the very last one before the wilderness took over. It reminded me of the driveway to the Cullen place in Forks and I wondered if the house would be similar.

"We're just scoping the place Bella so quiet and slow, OK?"

I nodded although I made no promises, if I saw a Cullen, a good opportunity I promised myself I would act whatever my companion might say or think.

We made our way along the edge of the drive keeping to the velvet blackness of the trees that lined it, drips from earlier rain still damping my hair as I passed. I stopped suddenly overwhelmed by scents that I recognized, Carlisle and Esme had passed recently and there were fainter traces of the others, Edward, Emmett, Rosalie and Alice. There was no trace of Jasper's distinctive scent so it was true that he didn't live with the family any longer. I felt strangely relieved, I just didn't want to kill him. I wasn't bothered about Rosalie either. Her scent didn't make me want to snarl my rage, she'd been the most honest and outspoken of all the Cullens.

The house was older than the one in Forks, less glass but there were lights on in several rooms and I could see the outline of Emmett hunched over a glowing screen in one of the upstairs rooms, Rosalie sitting with her back to the window watching him.

Moving to the back of the house I could see it would be easy enough to break in silently for an attack. I wanted to know where Carlisle's study was, he along with Edward were my main targets. If I closed my eyes I could see him kneeling over me and telling Edward I was transforming, I could feel the liquid fire in my veins, a certain excitement tingeing my agony as I knew I would soon be like Edward, we could be together for all eternity. Then his voice cut through my dreams. He wouldn't let me become a vampire, he was begging Carlisle to do something and then as the agony began to overtake my brain I felt cold lips on my skin and a strange tugging sensation. Only later did I discover Edward had sucked James venom from my bloodstream, so determined I would not become like him that he even overcame his own thirst for my blood.

I saw Charlie lying in a pool of his own blood and my eyes snapped open, unwilling to see more. Edward and Carlisle had created a monster inside me, I was no longer Bella Swan the human but a freak with a thirst for blood and vengeance. Two thirsts that were threatening to overwhelm me. I jerked my head back as the door opened and Alice stood there looking out and then knelt and placed something on the porch steps. I stayed frozen like a statue as a small animal approached her. She was feeding a stray kitten, this was the chance I was looking for, I could strike and be gone before anyone could act and I had the added advantage of Darius to watch my back.

As I started forward he grabbed me but his gesture was unnecessary, something else had stopped me dead in my tracks. It couldn't be, I took a deep breath and felt my throat scorch with the scent of human blood but I recognized this scent. Somehow they had been in physical contact with Charlie. As I took more deep breaths sampling the air I slipped back into the trees until I could no longer see Alice or the house. Darius appeared beside me,

"What is it? The scent of blood too much for you? I have to admit it shocked me. Maybe the Cullens aren't as wonderful as they claim, someone has been drinking human blood in that house, unless of course they have the victim stored for later."

I couldn't answer, my words were stuck in my throat and he waited impatiently until I could force some out.

"That's my dad's blood, I recognize the scent Darius. They have my dad in there and he's hurt."

"Your father? What the hell is he doing with the Cullens?"

"I don't know, maybe he thought they might be able to tell him where I was. Maybe he thought I had gone looking for Edward. What are we going to do? I have to get my dad out of there."

"Listen to me, Carlisle is a doctor. Maybe Charlie had an accident on his way here, maybe he did think you'd run to Edward. There's no proof the family hurt him Bella."

I nodded, Darius could be right but how to find out, storming the place was going to be impossible, the house was full of vampires and we were only two.

He pulled me further away but I resisted,

"I can't leave, I have to find my dad, see why he's here. Darius he's in a house full of vampires and he's bleeding."

"Correction, he's in a house full of self righteous vampires who insist they live only on animal blood and trust me, right now he would be in a lot more danger from you than them. Besides there wasn't enough scent for him to be badly hurt, remember your sense of smell is much more acute now. We should back away and formulate a plan of action. Find out where your dad is and why he's there. He could have cut himself shaving for all you know."

"With an electric razor? I doubt it. I don't trust them Darius."

"OK, then let me see what I can find out. Edward paid me for information, let's see if the famous Carlisle knows where his favourite son is shall we?"

"Will he talk to you?"

"Who knows, let's find out before we go storming in and start the killing, remember your father is the most vulnerable if it comes to a fight."

I nodded, Darius was right of course, if it came to a fight Charlie could easily die and I'd already almost killed him once, I was not going to be responsible again.

Darius took out his phone and called a number then waited. There was no ringing from inside the house so maybe Carlisle wasn't there. It went to voice mail and Darius cursed shoving it back into his pocket.

"Maybe he's on a late shift at the hospital,"

"Then there's one less for us to worry about."

I didn't wait for his response just broke into a run and made straight for Alice who stood on the porch still watching the kitten as it ate the food she had put down for it. I knew she hadn't seen me coming, either with her eyes or her second sight, she was blind to me and with my shield up no one else would be able to get at me as I grabbed her by the throat and dragged her, one hand clamped securely over her mouth into the trees and away from the safety of the others who were unaware of her plight.


	26. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six**

 **Jasper**

We reached the airport with minutes to spare before Victoria's plane was due to land and parked up racing towards the terminal only for Peter to stop suddenly almost making me crash into him.

"What the….Peter?"

He was standing stock still his eyes closed and his arms across his chest as if he were hugging himself to keep warm. I waited until he opened his eyes and looked at me,

"Major, whatever is going on it just got a whole lot worse and I mean apocalyptic type bad. I have never felt anything like it."

"Well, whatever it is I guess we'll find out soon enough. In the meantime we have a plane to catch up with so come on."

As we entered the terminal building I sensed someone I knew was close. Peter following up close on my heels swore loudly and gained plenty of hostile and disapproving stares from the humans close by which he ignored totally instead gesturing to a seating area away from the main crowd. Sitting there profiled in the overhead lights was Edward,

"What the fuck is he doing here?"

"I have no idea, let's ask him."

Edward sensed our presence before he saw us and by the time we reached him he was standing up glaring coldly in our direction.

"Asswipe, I would say it's good to see you again but that would be a huge fucking lie. What hole did you crawl out of and wouldn't you like to slither back there?"

Edward glared harder as Peter ostentatiously looked around,

"Where's daddy? Gone to get you some candy?"

I cut across Peter before a fight broke out,

"Why are you here Edward?"

"None of your business Hale."

"I'm making it my business."

He weighed his options and decided telling me was probably the safest bet.

"I heard Bella is coming in on a flight from Phoenix."

I was taken aback by this but I didn't let Edward see that.

"Really? And who told you that?"

"None of your business but as you involved us with her father I thought I should meet her and take her to him."

"This has nothing to do with realizing what a total fuck up you made in leaving her in the first place then Cullen?"

Edward flexed his fists and Peter noticing smiled widely.

"Any time you think you're man enough to take me you just say so. That voodoo in your head won't save you, I don't have to think how to whip your sorry ass, it's instinctual to stamp on cockroaches."

Pulling Edward close I stared into his eyes and saw him recoil from the visions in my head.

"Just tell me Edward and no one needs to get hurt. Who told you that Bella would be here?"

He considered refusing but then common sense kicked in.

"Darius, he rang me a while ago."

I freed him cursing under my breath, we were being played and we hadn't even known it. For some reason known only to himself Darius was moving us around like pawns on a chessboard, the question was why? What did he stand to gain by lying to us and Edward? By arranging it so we would meet up here.

"He told you Victoria would be here? Why? What's going on? I paid him a small fortune to get told lies?"

"Sounds like we were all lied to Edward, question is why? Carlisle thinks Bella is running because she attacked and almost killed her father He thinks maybe Victoria is now hunting Bella for killing her mate."

"Wait a minute, Bella attacked Charlie? I thought he was attacked by a vampire of some kind, some freak of nature."

"Yes and that freak is the one you created when you tried to suck the venom out of Bella's bloodstream. It didn't work Edward, you condemned her to a life as a hybrid and from the little I know that doesn't end well."

Edward was dumbstruck, pain flared in his eyes and I felt his shock and grief.

"I never meant to hurt Bella, I wanted save her from become damned."

"Well, it seems you damned her yourself. Now I doubt either Bella or Victoria is coming on any flight but you sit there and watch just in case while I speak to our mutual friend. Peter, stay with him and if he tries to leave….."

"I know, rip his fucking legs off."

I didn't answer just moved outside where it was quieter and more private for this particular conversation.

As I had half expected Darius wasn't answering his phone to me but even when I tried from one of the phone booths all I got was voice mail. Now that was unusual for the master of information or in this case misinformation. I didn't understand why Darius had done this, it would do his reputation no good at all if this got out. So, why? Was this what Peter had sensed? No, this wasn't apocalyptic, meeting Edward. So there was something else going on and I couldn't help thinking about Peter's question, how had Bella remained under the radar all this time? Surely Darius couldn't be the one helping her? For starters Bella wouldn't even know of Darius existence, no one in the family could have told her, I didn't even know how Edward had found out unless Carlisle had told him and that seemed unlikely.

I strode back to where they sat Edward's scowl even darker.

"How did you find out about Darius?"

"I…..I heard Carlisle telling Esme one day. It wasn't difficult to find his number after that."

"You mean you snooped in Carlisle's study while he wasn't there."

He didn't even look embarrassed,

"Why do you want to know?"

"Never mind, you should go, Bella isn't going to turn up here, we were played." Edward understanding I was right looked shocked and I wondered just how much he had paid Darius for the lie.

We watched as Edward left walking slowly head down,

"You think he's trying to work out how to get his own back on Darius?"

"Well if he is Peter he'll find himself in even deeper trouble. Darius would swat him like a fly."

I smiled,

"We can but hope. For now we need to follow this pull if we're going to find Bella."

Peter insisted on driving now so I could concentrate on the pull. It had brought me here to Chicago, now was that a coincidence? Or was Darius playing us like lab rats? It didn't matter so much at the moment but Darius and I would be having a serious heart to heart at some point. We drove slowly through down town and towards the suburbs while I closed my eyes concentrating.

"Left or right?"

I continued to give him directions, the feeling getting stronger and stronger, we must be getting close.

"We're almost out of the city all together Major."

Suddenly the feeling began to fade, Bella was moving, the pull had been easier to follow because she had been stationary but now she was moving away from us.

"Major?"

I cursed,

"She's on the move."

I opened my eyes suddenly aware of

our surroundings,

"Wait a minute."

I got out and ran up the road to where a sign glowed in the darkness of the night then reading it I cursed. Peter joined me,

"What?"

"She was here Peter, this is where the family live. Either she was looking for Edward or Charlie but either way she's gone."

"How the fuck did she trace them? I may be a bit fucking dim but if she's a hybrid with a newborn vampires problems how the fuck does she function well enough to track her dad half way across the fucking country?"

I began to shake my head but then stopped,

"She's resourceful and as a hybrid maybe she managed to learn some control, after all maybe she wouldn't be ruled by her thirst in the same way as a newborn. Maybe she found herself some help."

"Oh yeah I can just see that. What she do? Dial vampire intervention?"

I nodded,

"Something like that. Maybe she found a way of communicating with someone who could help her find who she was looking for, just like we did."

He thought about this then burst out laughing,

"You had me for a minute there Major. What'd she do, dial Darius Information 911?"

"Think about it Peter. Both Edward and you contacted him to track Bella and Victoria. If he knew the two were connected maybe that's why he sent us all on a wild goose chase."

"But how would he know? And why?"

"What if Bella got to him first and he's working for her."

"You think Darius is helping some random hybrid track down her dad?"

"Or Edward who abandoned her to deal with becoming a hybrid. If she did then Darius would want me out of the way, he'd know he couldn't win in a one on one with The Major."

"OK but wouldn't Bella want Edward so she could kick his ass?"

That stopped me until I saw the wider picture,

"Bella doesn't want to kill Edward, she wants to torture him and the best way to do that would be to kill those he cares about, his family. She was here tonight and I think she came looking for someone, maybe Carlisle. But something changed, something stopped her and we need to find out what and where she's headed now."

 _ **Awesome chapter but if they obviously know Charlie is with them surely they could figure out that it was Charlie or lack of that stopped her and that might have caused her to follow him.**_


	27. Chapter 27

**Chapter Twenty Seven**

 **Darius**

I saw Bella snatch the girl off the porch, a very slick move if I say so myself and followed her as she shot off through the trees. She was still very fast but I managed to keep up, relieved when she finally stopped in a small clearing in the forest, so close to the lake that I could hear the water lapping against the shore. She had the girl by the throat pinned against the ground her legs straddling the other's flailing legs. Once she saw me the girl knew she was in trouble and went limp. I decided to leave Bella to sort this out leaning against a trunk folding my arms and Bella seeing this nodded her thanks.

 **Bella**

I couldn't help myself when I saw Alice alone on the porch, I snatched her and ran knowing that for now I was stronger and faster and that her gift wouldn't work on me. If it had she would have seen my intentions and never made herself such an easy target. As it was she was shocked when she recognized her assailant.

"Bella!"

"Hello Alice, I bet you never expected to see me again did you? Must come as a shock that I'm here, a vampire, and I tracked you down. You and the rest of your two faced family."

I didn't want to hear her excuses and tightened my grip on her throat stopping any words from escaping.

"You must have laughed all the way here, thinking about the stupid human who fell for your declarations of friendship, fell in love with your brother and who sat stunned when she discovered you had slunk away in the night without a word of goodbye."

I squeezed a little harder feeling the bones in her neck protesting, sure I wasn't halting her breathing, strangling her, but it felt good to have one of the Cullens totally in my power.

"You have no idea what you left behind you bitch. What happened to me, how I was forced to run away from everything I knew and loved. How you would have enjoyed watching me suffer, laughed at the spectacle of me attacking my dad, almost ripping his throat out before I came to my senses."

She tried to squirm free once more but there was no way I was releasing her, maybe she understood that once I finished talking I was going to torch her.

"I guess Carlisle might have been interested to see just what his precious son created, after all he's fascinated by humans isn't he? Maybe I was just another experiment to him. I understand he did experiments for the Volturi at one time."

Her eyes went wide with shock, so she didn't know about that, well I wasn't surprised, it hardly fit with his image as a compassionate man.

"Well, here I am, in the flesh, well vampire flesh anyhow and I am out for revenge. I want Edward to feel pain and you are as good a start as any. He loves his little sister and I'm sure he'll be devastated when he finds out she's gone. Of course I'll have to keep a token to prove you really have gone, maybe a lock of hair….or your head."

The rage had grown and grown as I looked down on Alice's sweet duplicitous face and now all I could see was a red mist. I felt my hands begin to squeeze even harder but then she mustered all her remaining energy and twisted free of my hands but still pinned down by my body.

"Bella please, listen to me. Charlie's here, well he was, I guess he's in the air now."

I slammed her shoulders down once more, venom spitting from my mouth as I choked out the words,

"What? He came looking for me didn't he? That's why I could smell him. What did you say? Bella? Who's she? Can't remember her, just another insignificant human toy."

"He's sick, Charlie is sick and he didn't come looking for you, Jasper went back to Forks looking for you and discovered Charlie dying."

I rocked back on my heels,

"What? My dad is dying? How did that happen and what was Jasper looking for me for?"

Although she could have easily shaken me off now Alice stayed where she was.

"We know what happened, Charlie told us he'd been attacked and you ran away. You infected him with your venom and it's killing him, that's how Carlisle and Rose worked out it was you. Edward left some of James venom in your bloodstream didn't he? You became a hybrid. No one could have foreseen that but it doesn't excuse what we did to you and I am very sorry for my part."

I laughed bitterly,

"You're sorry? Then I guess that's OK, I should forgive you and walk away. Why didn't Carlisle change Charlie once he knew the truth? Or did he and that's why you said Charlie was gone? No, just a minute, you said Charlie was in the air, so either Carlisle is flying him somewhere or you killed him. Was it just a poetic way of saying you killed him and burned his body?"

She looked shocked,

"Of course not, we wouldn't kill him, we don't kill humans Bella."

"Oh I forgot, you just torture them then leave them to their torment."

"Please Bella, we couldn't change Charlie, he's not a true hybrid like you. If we had added more venom to his system it would just have killed him more quickly. Carlisle is doing the only thing he can, he's taking Charlie to Volterra."

My jaw dropped and Darius stiffened

"To Volterra? Why? So they can watch their specimen die more slowly?"

"No, because they offer the only hope of saving your dad. The Volturi may have a cure, an antidote."

I wasn't sure I believed her but then why should she make up such a fanciful story? The blinding rage had subsided to something I could work around and I glanced over at Darius, who still hadn't moved from his place, once more

"Do you believe her?"

"Well, I don't see what she has to gain by lying. It makes sense when you look at it, you bit your dad and he becomes….well I'm not sure what you would call it, a weaker hybrid? As for a cure, if one exists I guess the only place to find it would be with the Volturi. What puzzles me more is why The Major was looking for you."

I thought about this, he was right. Why had Jasper returned to Forks looking for me. He'd left along with the others so why come back so long after.

I swung back round to Alice,

"Did he know about Charlie? Did Carlisle send him out to collect a new specimen?"

"He was looking for you Bella, I just wished he had listened to me earlier."

"Listened to you?"

She nodded and a sad smile crossed her face,

"Jasper had no part in leaving you in Forks. He wasn't even there when the decision was made. By the time he returned we had already moved. He didn't stay, he was so angry about it he left."

"Without you?"

That strained my imagination, they had been so much in love!

Darius moved closer,

"See, I told you he wasn't with the Cullens although I didn't know why he had left."

Alice nodded,

"I stayed behind for Esme as much as anything, she was so unhappy. Besides it was time to give Jasper his freedom, I knew where he needed to be and I told him but it took a long time for him to accept it, he can be stubborn at times."

"And you're saying you sent him to Forks? Why?"

Darius held up a hand, comprehension spreading across his face although I was still baffled.

"That's why Bella was being pulled here, The Major is in town isn't he? He's been hunting her, that's why she was so confused by the pull changing."

He turned to me,

"Alice told him that you two were mates and he's been looking for you all this time."

I sat back on my heels and Alice slowly rose to her feet brushing off her clothes and picking dead leaves from her hair. This was insane!

"Me? And Jasper?"

I shook my head but Darius was nodding slowly,

"I guess the pull really kicked in when Bella became a vampire. Well, I guess my help is no longer needed. You know where your dad is and that Carlisle is trying to help him I guess killing the Cullens isn't on the agenda any longer."

I looked at him wondering if he was right. I could hardly kill the people who were trying to save my dad's life although I felt no less bitter at the way they had treated me.

"Of course, even if Carlisle manages to save your father's life there's no guarantee Aro will let him leave Volterra. If he becomes human again then he's under sentence of death for knowing about vampires and if not then whatever he becomes Aro will want to study him. It's a good job you have The Major on your side, you're gonna need him if you ever want to see your dad again."

I stood up slowly thinking about this,

"I'm not sure I trust anyone but you Darius, everyone else has already bailed on me once. Besides, didn't you have a score to settle in Volterra? Maybe we can help each other."

He grinned although Alice protested loudly that Jasper hadn't abandoned me in the first place, he only found out later but I wasn't interested. The one thing I did know was that Darius had never lied to me or let me down, I trusted him where I trusted no one else.


	28. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight**

 **Jasper**

I wanted desperately to find Bella, knowing she was here, close by, although for how long I had no idea, the problem was Edward. I did not want to face Bella with Edward at my side. She must hate us all for abandoning her but Edward most of all and I did not want to be associated with him. I threw a glance at Peter who groaned seeing what I was thinking. Edward looked from one to the other then shook his head.

"If you know where Bella is then I'm going with you. If she's worried about her father then taking her to him so she can say goodbye might just get me back into her good books."

Peter grabbed his arm and frogmarched him out of the terminal building while I shielded his actions from the few humans curious enough to look round at Edward's yelp of pain.

"Now you see, while I hate being the bearer of bad news I'll make an exception in your case Eddie. You and I are going to take a little ride and if you behave who knows, you might even survive."

Edward twisted in his grip hissing through clenched teeth,

"Let go of me, you can't stop me going to Bella so don't even try. I can run rings around you and once he's gone I will."

Seeing the beatific smile that crossed Peter's face I understood that was the wrong thing to say. By now we were outside in the parking lot hidden from onlookers by a minivan with blacked out windows and as I unlocked the car I heard a cry of pain.

I helped Peter put Edward in the back seat and strap him in, considering he was now minus his right arm and left leg it seemed the kindest thing to do. Before shutting the door I leaned close to whisper in Edward's ear,

"I'd be thankful, you got off lightly but be careful, you give Peter any more trouble and you are likely to find yourself headless."

He knew I was only speaking the truth, he could hear Peter's thoughts and that was something I didn't envy him.

"Right Major, Eddie boy here and I will take a little mystery tour while you go find your princess. Take care though, I still have that feeling something is going to happen."

I nodded,

"Always Peter. I'll let you know when it's safe to bring him back."

"Just so as you know, if he gives me any crap I'm dumping him in the lake, a piece at a time and I for one am not diving in to retrieve the bits."

I watched as they drove off then went to rent myself a car and drove towards the center of the pull which took me strangely enough right to the door of the Cullen house. As I pulled up I could see Emmett and Rosalie standing on the porch so I called out to them only to discover that Alice was missing and had been for most of the night.

"Problem is Jazz, Carlisle and Esme have taken Charlie to Volterra, they think the Volturi might be able to help so there's just us and Alice. She came out to feed the wild kitten last night and when I tried to find her there's no sign. Not only that but I can smell strange vampires have been around."

"Show me."

Emmett strode to the trees which bordered the grounds of the house and as we walked under the canopy I too could smell the scent of two vampires but unlike Emmett I knew the scent of my mate, Bella was now a vampire and was accompanied by another. So, I'd been right, she did have help and I thought I knew exactly who it was helping her. When I told the others they were stunned.

"But why did she kidnap Alice? You don't think she's hurt her do you?"

"I don't know but I'm going to find out."

I dialled Darius number and waited for him to pick up telling them that Edward was keeping Peter company at which both laughed, they knew my friend had a very low Cullen tolerance and that Edward was his least favorite of the family.

"I just hope he has a miserable time."

"Oh, I think you can take that as a given Rose."

She smiled at that as I heard Darius' voice.

"Major, to what do I owe this pleasure?"

"Put Bella on."

"I'm sorry? Who?"

"Do not fuck with me Darius it would not end well, just put Bella on."

There was a short silence, I could hear he had put his hand over the receiver, presumably to talk to Bella, then I heard her voice, recognizable even though the tone was colder than I had ever heard before.

"Jasper."

"Is Alice OK?"

"For now, yes."

"We need to talk Bella, I'm sure Alice has explained the situation."

The line went quiet and I wondered if she was going to speak again or just cut me off then to my relief she spoke again.

"She did but I'm a bit busy right now, I'll have to take a rain check."

"Bella, if you plan on going to Volterra to get your father you'll need my help."

I couldn't bear the thought of her going off alone with Darius, she was mine not his.

"Really? How do I know I can trust you? You weren't exactly reliable before."

"OK, I deserved that but I can explain and I know Darius is good but he's not me. Let me help you, let me regain your trust, please."

The silence this time was longer but then I heard,

"OK. Where are you?"

"At the house but I can come to you."

"No need we'll meet you there shortly."

So, they hadn't taken Alice far, she must have been able to explain what happened and Bella had, thankfully, believed her.

 **Bella**

I handed the phone back to Darius who was smiling,

"Well done but I think you might find things a little more tense than you expect."

"I don't expect anything Darius, not any more. I thought I knew my future, I thought getting revenge was everything, I never looked any further than that and I certainly never expected to be thanking a Cullen for saving my father's life. And now it seems I have a mate and I have no idea what to do about it. I know you are in trouble with them for helping me and deceiving them but I want you at my side, I trust you Darius."

He smiled at that,

"I'm not going anywhere Bella, you forget I have a score to settle with the Volturi and you are my best bet at getting it."

I thought for a moment,

"I guess that is going to make things difficult, will he be jealous?"

"The Major? Of course but you leave that to me. All I want is to see Caius burn, he'll understand that."

I nodded and turned to Alice who sat watching us with a smile,

"It will be OK Bella and I see Darius being content but only if you have Jasper at your side."

I turned on her,

"I thought you couldn't see my future Alice."

She shrugged,

"I can't but it's obvious with Darius and Jasper at your side you couldn't possibly fail in whatever you decide to do."

I suppose I knew she was right but I would have felt better if Alice had been able to see the future for sure.

"Then you won't mind accompanying us will you Alice Cullen?"

She shot Darius a surprised look then shrugged,

"Why not, I haven't been to Italy for years, it should be fun."

I rolled my eyes, only Alice could see this as a fun vacation She was incorrigible!


	29. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine**

 **Carlisle**

I was glad of Esme's companionship during the flight to Italy as the medical personnel were happy to be paid off. As long as the patient was provided with medical help it was no skin off their noses. I think Aro may have told the company that there would be a qualified doctor flying with the patient but they had supplied personnel just in case. I helped Charlie from the wheelchair provided into the bed on board and set up another blood transfusion glad at least that message had got through and by the time we were over the ocean he was asleep. Esme stayed at his side until sure he wasn't going to wake and only then joined me.

"Do you think Aro really can help Charlie, Carlisle? I feel so responsible."

"I think we all do now we know what our presence has cost Bella and Charlie but there was no way we could have known what would happen."

"True, but if we hadn't snuck away like thieves in the dead of night Bella could have contacted us and we could have avoided all this."

"All we can do is to help the situation as it stands my love, there's no point feeling guilty for things we cannot change."

"What about Bella though? She must be so scared, so angry with us."

"We can't do anything about that either, not here or in Italy, I take it you explained everything to Jasper?"

She nodded,

"Yes, I hope he finds her although I can't see her being happy to see any of us, even him."

We had just touched down when I received a message from Rosalie telling us that Jasper had found where Bella was and she was coming to meet him but that according to him Bella was now a vampire, not a hybrid, and was accompanied by Darius of all people. He told me that Bella had been quite straight with him, she did not trust any of us but Alice had told her that we were trying to help Charlie, to save his life, and I hoped that might at least redeem us a little in her eyes.

As Aro promised there was an ambulance waiting for us at the airport and Charlie was soon comfortably settled although he was not looking as well as I had hoped, it seemed the latest blood transfusion had not worked its magic like the first. It was clear to us both that Charlie was fading fast, faster than I had hoped or anticipated, in fact, unless Aro had this antidote ready and waiting we might already be too late to save him. Knowing this I rang ahead and explained the situation and Marcus who had come to the phone promised that everything would be ready by the time we arrived at the citadel.

 **Charlie**

The flight had been long and arduous for me and despite the further blood transfusion I could feel my strength ebbing away as the pain in my body became more and more unbearable. Carlisle had given me strong painkillers but they did nothing to ease it and eventually he had resorted to a strong sedative which gave me a few mercifully pain free hours or at least pain I could no longer feel although Esme told me I had drifted in and out not sleeping properly as they had hoped. I had no great hopes of a cure, but I was hoping for a quick and relatively painless death. Once Esme told me that Jasper had found Bella and that she was fine I could stop worrying and when she promised me that if anything happened, if I died, the family would make sure Bella was well looked after I felt more at peace in my mind.

I had never flown in such comfort before and I certainly didn't expect a private mediflight. I was just glad I wouldn't be presented with the bill and wondered how many years salary it would have taken to pay it off. To find an ambulance waiting at Pisa airport was a relief as I felt so weak and sick I couldn't have stood to save my life. As I was gently transferred from plane to ambulance Carlisle reassured me that everything would be ready when we arrived although we had a long journey ahead of us up the mountain to Volterra. To be honest I didn't really care, I was too drugged up and still in too much pain to ever care that I was on my way to a town full of vampires, it was almost laughable.

 **Carlisle**

Charlie slept most of the journey to Volterra while I sat worrying about what we would find when we arrived. I had no doubt that Aro had something to offer, he wouldn't lie outright to get us here but I somehow doubted it would be anything as straightforward as an antidote or cure. If such a thing existed I couldn't imagine it remaining a secret, not to me. After all, I'd lived in Volterra for decades and never came across anything remotely close and I searched the archives for medical knowledge hungrily. I had my doubts now it was too late, after all saving Charlie was one thing but what was I saving him for? I hated the thought of death winning but perhaps I should have thought more about the alternatives. Would Charlie be happier as a vampire? Or whatever this help could turn him into? Would he end up as a Volturi lab rat? Or prisoner?

Esme could see I was preoccupied and asked me what was wrong but I didn't feel I could tell her. There were other secrets between us, secrets that involved the Volturi and I was hoping nothing would bring them to light. I wasn't proud of the things I had done while I was a member of the Volturi, things that went against everything I now believed in but that didn't make them any less real. I had always used the story that I merely visited with the Volturi in order to gain knowledge, I had never told anyone that I had actually been one of them, had been offered a place on the ruling council and had come so close to accepting it. None of my family knew anything about the horror that had stopped me just in time and I never wanted that to come out. I was deeply in debt to Aro and his brothers although they had never voiced the threat. The thing was that we all knew it was there and one day they would call it in and I would have no option but to agree. Please let this not be that time.

It was strange to see the walls of the town again, the citadel, the clock tower, all as if I had been gone merely a week not centuries, somehow Volterra never changed although the humans who inhabited the town, living side by side with their greatest threat, had come and gone over those same centuries. The ambulance turned down a narrow alley to one side of the clock tower and I realized we were not using the main entrance, no one would ever see the patient, no one know we were ever here.

The first familiar face I saw was Jane's, as angelic as ever even though she didn't smile. The driver and medic opened the back of the ambulance but it was two Volturi guards who carried the litter inside the citadel and although they didn't know it the humans should be thankful, few humans ever entered the citadel and lived to walk out again. Esme and I followed Charlie in silence along corridors I recognized from my time here and I realized they were taking Charlie straight to the audience chamber. Esme grasped my hand tightly and I knew she was afraid but whether for us or for Charlie I couldn't tell.

 **Charlie**

The jolt as the ambulance stopped woke me and as two silent figures carried me inside a huge stone building I understood I was now in vampire territory. I looked around for Carlisle and Esme and seeing them following me gave me some comfort. Studying the young woman, a girl really, who walked ahead of us I noticed her pale complexion and that air of agelessness and understood she too was a vampire but then what else? I doubted I would see another human here and I hoped not for they could only be a source of sustenance for the creatures that called this home. I guess I should have been afraid but the alternative was certain painful death and that scared me more. The drugs had helped a little, the pain was bearable but I knew this was just a short reprieve. My only hope was here among the blood drinking creatures I had thought belonged to mythology.


	30. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty**

 **Jasper**

Although I knew Alice was with Bella I didn't expect to see her walking calmly through the trees with Darius and my mate. As soon as I saw Bella I knew Alice had been right and I wondered how it had been that I had missed it when we had met her in Forks. I must have been blinded by my feelings for Alice and Edwards for Bella although now it was so obvious it seemed madness that I had missed it. However, this wasn't the Bella I remembered, not the soft and trusting young girl we had met, this Bella was much harder, more determined and it looked as if smiling was the last thing on her mind. There was a coldness in her eyes, a bitter twist to her lips, and I wondered how much of this was fear for her father and how much the damage we had done to her.

I wanted to run to her, to hold out my arms and hold her close, whisper my love into her ear and feel her melt into me but this Bella would certainly not appreciate such gestures, her very coldness held me at bay so I waited until they joined us looking into her face for some indication she felt as I did but her eyes were flat and hard.

"Well? We're here."

Even her voice was different, emotionless, as if this was a robot instead of a person.

"Bella, thank you for coming."

"You made it impossible to do otherwise but let me tell you straight, I don't believe any of you, none of the family. I do however trust Darius so maybe you should concentrate on persuading him that we need you."

I turned my gaze to Darius, annoyed to see a fleeting grin there before it was replaced by a neutral look. If he thought he could get between The Major and his mate he was sadly mistaken but I understood for now I had to play a waiting game, give her time to understand how much we meant to each other.

"I just want to offer my help getting your father back from Volterra."

"And had you considered that there may not be a way of getting him free of the Volturi? Or the fact that he might well die before they can do anything? That's if Aro really has a way of helping him. I've been around centuries Major and I've never heard of an antidote or a cure for hybrids. Doesn't it strike you as convenient that the Volturi just happen to have exactly what Carlisle is asking for but only if he travels all the way to Italy with a dying human?"

Bella watched me closely as I considered Darius' questions, he was right of course, even if the Volturi could help Charlie it might well mean him becoming a vampire because if he stayed human then he would stay trapped there as a prisoner until he died. But why would Aro offer help if he didn't have it?

"You think Aro has an ulterior motive?"

Darius laughed, a harsh sound that startled us all,

"My friend, the Volturi always have an ulterior motive. Aro never does anything unless there is payment for him, we just have to work out what that payment is and if we are willing to settle the bill."

"You want to step away? That's fine, I'll take Bella to Volterra without you."

She scowled at me but didn't appear to be concerned about Darius' answer.

"Oh no, Bella and I are going to Italy, we have business there. If you want to come along that's up to you."

Business? This was more than a simple rescue mission and then it hit me, they had a bargain of some kind. I thought back to what I knew about Darius but hit a blank. I'd heard of him through Carlisle but all I knew was that he obtained information for a fee which wasn't much help in this instance.

"Yes, we do so I suggest we get moving before it's too late."

Her voice made it clear she didn't care, she was just impatient to get going.

Darius nodded in reply to her,

"You coming Major?"

He knew I was, I could see it in his eyes, he knew what Bella meant to me. I was about to answer when Peter drove up seemingly alone. Darius smiled to see him waiting until he climbed out and joined us.

"I wondered where Blunder Boy had got to."

"Fuck you Darius."

I glanced in the back seat of the car but there was no sign of Edward and I wondered if he had made good on his threat to send his captive to the bottom of the lake in pieces but then I heard muffled noises from the trunk.

Alice ran round and opened it up standing back wide eyed when she saw what had been revealed. Bella joined her along with the rest of us. Edward wasn't at the bottom of the lake but he did look worse for wear, both arms and legs were detached and lay over his body while his tongue lay like a piece of leather on his chest. I looked questioningly at Peter who grinned and shrugged,

"I warned him to shut up but he didn't listen, stupid fucker, he should have known I'd make good on any threats I made. You want me to put Humpty together again?"

I was about to nod when Bella beat me to it,

"No. Leave him like that till we get back, I'd like a few words with Edward but I don't have the time for him now."

Emmett and Rosalie promised to take care of Edward in his present state until we returned, in fact I think they were relishing the idea, no one had much time for him. Bella thanked them but again without any warmth then she took Darius' arm and I felt myself stiffen, wanting to rip her away from him but swallowing down that thought with difficulty.

"Come on then. Are we going in your plane or do I have to make small talk with him while we wait for a flight?"

I knew she was referring to me but knowing what we meant to each other I could play a waiting game…..for now at least.

 **Bella**

I wanted to be angry with Jasper, I wanted to hate them all, to blame them, blame him for what had happened to Charlie and to me, but I found it surprisingly hard. Hiding behind Darius helped but there was something strange happening to me every time looked at Jasper Hale and I found it disconcerting. I noticed Darius glance from him to me and could have sworn I saw a hint of amusement in his eyes but for now I tried to push all this, all the distractions, from my mind. My dad was in terrible danger whether the Volturi could help him or not and it was down to me to find a way to save him if I could. I knew I would have to tell Jasper and his strange companion Peter the truth about my gift sooner rather than later but for now it was my secret, mine and Darius had agreed to be led by my decision. I wanted my secret to stay that way for just a little longer, that and our bargain which at least was purely our business, our concern and no one else's.

I was relieved when we arrived back at Darius plane, I hadn't relished the idea of a long flight among humans, even with other vampires around to keep an eye on me. Strangely enough I felt more peaceful, more in control, since Jasper and Peter had joined us although I couldn't explain why even to myself. Unfortunately once on the plane I realized that I would be trapped alone with our two companions while Darius flew us to Italy. Long hours in which I knew I no longer had the escape of sleep as a way to hide. I took my place in a window seat making very sure it was apparent I wished for no company and Jasper seated himself where he could see me without being too obvious about it while Peter grinning widely merely pushed my coat aside and sat himself down trapping me in place. He crossed his long legs making himself comfortable and it obvious he wasn't about to move or allow me to. I could have objected but somehow I understood it would be better to stay put and hold my peace for now.


	31. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty One**

 **Jasper**

I hadn't wanted to crowd Bella but Peter had other idea's and he had always marched to the sound of his own private drums so there was little point in making an issue of his seat choice. I wondered just how he was going to approach Bella. He knew what she was to me, he knew there was terrible danger for all of us up ahead and if I had to guess he would be determined that by the time the plane landed Bella would know all this too. I could feel her emotions, I knew she was aware of a connection although she didn't understand it and this was unnerving and to an extent annoying her. What I wanted to know was what secret she and Darius shared, what kind of connection they had forged. There was nothing romantic about it but they were way too close for me to feel comfortable. The Major was urging me to have a "word" with him, warn him off but that wasn't going to help the present situation.

 **Bella**

Jasper's friend made me feel very uncomfortable although so far he hadn't uttered a single word he just watched me with an air of amusement and curiosity as if weighing me up. I contained my rising anger as long as I could then turned to him and snapped a question,

"Happy with what you see?"

His face lit up with a broad smile,

"I wondered how long it would take me to get under your skin. Actually I am. Not what I was expecting but you'll do."

"Thank you so much. What a relief to hear that I pass your inspection."

"Ah now I never said that. I haven't finished yet and as The Major's best and probably only true friend it's down to me to make sure he isn't making yet another colossal mistake, you see his track record isn't exactly what you'd call great."

I hadn't the faintest idea what he was talking about. I knew from Darius that Jasper was The Major but what mistake? What track record was he referring to? Jasper opened his mouth to say something but Peter just continued, ignoring him.

"Just a few questions and then I can give you my honest opinion."

"And I should care what your honest opinion of me is?"

His smile dimmed and he nodded serious now,

"Oh yes, you should Bella. I make a great friend but I make a fucking nightmare as an enemy, ask anyone."

Somehow his words although spoken in a matter of fact tone chilled me and I recognized these were not empty words or a threat, just a simple statement of fact.

 **Jasper**

I closed my eyes and waited, unsure how Bella would react to Peter's abrasive tone, after all she didn't know him, she couldn't know that this was just his way, that he treated friends and foe alike when it came to telling them what he thought. I tuned out their conversation thinking about her.

Bella was still relatively new as a vampire and I wondered just how volatile she was but keeping her emotions under observation I would be able to tell if he pushed her too far and hopefully intervene in time if she attacked. The last thing we needed was a fight on board. Even if it didn't destroy the fragile plane leaving us to swim the rest of the way it would slow us down considerably and I knew that time was something Charlie was fast running out of.

As to whether Aro really could help, well, I was skeptical but surely Carlisle wouldn't have made the journey unless he was pretty confident the Volturi could help. There was something about his relationship with Aro and the brothers that had made me uneasy the first time I heard about it from Rosalie. I felt there were hidden secrets but up until now they hadn't been my concern. I just hoped whatever they were, these secrets wouldn't harm Charlie or Bella. Talking of which I was burning with curiosity to find out just what the unspoken secret between my mate and Darius was.

"So, you and The Major eh? Of course that was only if you met with my approval, me being the level headed of the two of us."

Bella regarded him in stony silence but I could feel the dawning realization that we two were destined to be soul mates. Without warning she tipped him from his seat to sprawl on the floor and walked over to take the seat beside me.

"He's right isn't he? Annoying as hell but right. I guess I should have known, Darius suspected but….."

She trailed off in mid sentence staring at me keenly,

"I never really saw you before Jasper, not even with my weak human eyes, maybe my infatuation with Edward blinded me."

I felt self conscious of my scarred face for the first time and put a hand up to feel the many ridges that marred my skin.

Bella lifted a hand to pull mine away and then very softly laid her palm against a cluster of them on my jawline.

"Don't hide them, not from me. I see them as a sign you are a warrior but more importantly the one who is always left standing as the smoke clears from battle."

Peter stifled a chortle at that but we both chose to ignore him.

I curled my fingers around hers looking deep into those beautiful eyes and seeing nothing but the truth in them.

"I'm sorry I left Bella. I didn't know what had happened until weeks later but that's no excuse, I should have come looking for you then…...well I have no valid excuse. Let me make it up to you, please. Let me stand with you against anyone who wants to harm Charlie. I promise you I will do all that I can to save him or if not then to end his suffering mercifully."

Peter was mock vomiting by this time but we still ignored him. I was waiting for Bella's response. Would she trust me now she knew we were partners for all eternity? She felt the pull as strongly as I did, I knew that, but would she try to fight it out of sheer stubbornness?

She smiled and the tension left my body,

"I trust you Jasper, how could I not? But we may not be able to save my dad, he may already be dead or changed so don't make a promise you may not be able to keep. Let's get through this and then start again, together."

"If your dad is beyond all help will you leave Volterra? Come away with me then?"

This was a test, I knew she and Darius were up to something and I wanted to see how much she would reveal.

"Eventually yes but I have a debt to pay first and I won't default on payment, not even for you."

"Can you tell me what you promised Darius? It is him you owe this debt to I'm thinking."

She shook her head,

"It's not my place to reveal it but a promise is a promise and I owe him for saving me, for all the hard weeks and months he endured with me. You shouldn't be jealous though, there is nothing romantic between us, he still mourns Sara and always will."

Mourns Sara? There was a tragic story there somewhere but so long as I stuck to Bella whatever she had to do I would help, after all her debt was mine too.

We were still holding hands and she sighed closing her eyes and leaning against me as if weary.

"If I had known what you meant to me I would have come to you for help and maybe things would have turned out differently. As it is I may not be able to save my dad but thank you for trying, I'll never forget what you did for him."

"Save the thanks until you have him back."

"If she does, I don't trust that black haired fucker as far as I can hurl a mountain."

This time Bella rolled her eyes and turned to look at Peter,

"Then it's a good thing I have the brains of the outfit here to help me."

Peter grinned and took a bow,

"At last my worth is being appreciated, I think you and I are gonna get along just fine Bella."

At last he closed his eyes crossed his long legs in the aisle and feigned sleep but I could see the huge grin on his face and was relieved. If he had taken a dislike to Bella things could have been very awkward indeed.


	32. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty Two**

 **Carlisle**

I was very nervous meeting Aro after so many centuries, especially as we had not parted on the best of terms. He was unhappy that I wanted to leave, annoyed that I no longer wanted to be a party to the machinations of the Volturi. I had come to the end of my tether, I couldn't stomach any more of his indifferent attitude to the suffering of humans. He knew I was interested in helping them and found it amusing until it came between us. He considered my compassion for the suffering a weakness and was impatient that I didn't see things the same way he did. I really believed if Marcus and Caius had not both spoken up for me that I would have remained a "guest" in Volterra to this day. His brothers rarely stood against him and to do so together was unheard of so he found himself having to give way begrudgingly on this occasion and I was given his "blessing" to make my own way in the world.

Even so when he saw me his face broke out into a genuine smile and he strode forward holding his hands out to greet me warmly.

"Carlisle my friend. It gives me great pleasure to welcome you back to Volterra and this must be your mate Esme."

He held out a hand to her and she placed hers in it slowly and reluctantly, she knew of his gift and if there had been a way to avoid touching him she would have taken it. Instead she was forced to stand there as he sifted through every thought she had ever had. After what seemed an eternity he released her and stepped back looking even more pleased, if that were possible.

"Oh Esme, there is no need for your concern. I think Carlisle has given us a reputation that we do not warrant. I assure you that this is not a prison and you are free to leave whenever you wish but I know my wife and Athena were looking forward to meeting you, they see so few new faces here. Would you mind if Carlisle and I spoke privately for a short while? I'm sure you understand that attempting to help the human you brought with you is a delicate matter. Perhaps you would go with dear Jane. She will escort you to my wife's suite and as soon as our business is concluded I will have her escort you back here to your husband and hopefully a restored…...Charlie Swan was it?"

I nodded in reply to his enquiring glance then hugged Esme and told her it would be fine. She left looking only a little less apprehensive and a silence fell in the room apart from Charlie's moans and gasps until the sound of footsteps receded into silence.

Aro then approached the stretcher and peered at Charlie as if he were a biological specimen under a microscope.

"Well, this is certainly an interesting case. Did you discover the identity of the hybrid who attacked him?"

"No and I'm afraid he doesn't have much time, he's deteriorating rapidly since we started our journey. You said you could help him Aro, how?"

He stood back with a sigh,

"Carlisle, surely you haven't forgotten the vaults of curiosities that lay beneath our very feet? I know you spent many long weeks down there just lost in wonder."

"Oh I haven't forgotten but I don't remember seeing anything that could help a human bitten by a hybrid."

"The archives are vast and added to constantly my friend, one small item among all the millions? It was easily overlooked."

I racked my brain but I couldn't recall anything remotely familiar in the vast underground archives although he was right, it would have taken centuries more than I had to search out every single item down there. I doubted even Marcus, keeper of the archives all these centuries could recall everything that had been collected.

"We should act quickly Aro or it will be too late."

"Patience my friend, certain ingredients were needed to prepare the cure and they took some time gathering together."

 **Charlie**

I thought I must be dreaming or maybe hallucinating when I opened my eyes. I was in a vast circular stone walled room and above me in the ceiling was a huge glass dome which flooded the space with sunlight. Dust motes swirled in the air above me and as I turned my head I saw heavy carved wooden furniture and sconce's for torches set in the walls. The place although vast was empty except for the two men conversing a short way from me. I recognized Carlisle's voice and the other must be the Volturi leader he had spoken of…..Avo no Aro, yes that was it. As I turned my head painfully to look in their direction I had to blink. They stood in a shaft of sunlight and their skin glittered sending rainbow colours shooting across the floor, I must be seeing things, this couldn't be real could it?

I tried to ignore the stabbing pains that filled my body and made it hard to concentrate and listened to the words not just the sound of the two voices. Carlisle sounded impatient, worried and I knew he was aware I had little time left. I felt so sick, so tired and in so much pain I was beginning to wish it would end and give me peace. I couldn't remember back to a time when I felt well, I had been sick so long now.

As I focused in Aro was speaking again.

"Do you remember your time here Carlisle? All the experiments you were free to do? It's how you begun your medical training, I was very proud of your thirst for knowledge and only too happy to facilitate it. We spent so many happy hours discussing your theories on human anatomy and disease. If memory serves me most of what you were able to do with our…..left overs, would have gotten you burned in your own country at the time. The authorities frowned on anatomists until much later."

"I was grateful, I felt they hadn't died in vain if their bodies gave me a way to see how it worked, to find ways of helping the sick and suffering but I'm not proud of the things I did and nothing would make me turn from my present beliefs, we are all important to the world Aro, humans and vampires and neither should live in fear of the other."

"So? Have you found your El Dorado? The Philosopher's stone that would stop our skin reacting to sunlight and exposing us to our enemies?"

"No and I'm not sure I really want to, it would make us too powerful if we could hide in plain sight Aro. The humans wouldn't stand a chance."

"Ah, the old tune. My friend they don't stand a chance anyway, if only you could see that. Never mind I hear footsteps, that will be Heidi with the ingredients we were waiting for. It shouldn't take you long top brew up the…. Antidote."

I was pretty sure Carlisle would have noticed the hesitation there, I certainly did but I had no idea what it meant. although…..well it seems we will soon be able to see for ourselves if it works."

I sank into a burning lake of agony once more, I had no idea how long for, and when I was able to focus once more I could hear the clinking of glass against glass and smell a horrible cloying scent in the air, was this my cure?

"We're almost ready I think but it's taken much longer than I expected. If we don't treat Charlie soon it's going to be too late."

"Well then my friend I suggest you prepare your patient. It will be extremely interesting to see the outcome of this experiment, I must admit to great curiosity in seeing if it works."

"If it works, Aro? You mean you have no idea of its efficacy?"

"Isn't that what drew you to medicine in the first place Carlisle? The excitement of the unknown, of being the one to discover a new cure for some deadly disease? Look on this like that, a medical trial, that will calm your moral outrage better than the term experiment I'm sure."

So, they had no idea if this would work, or what might happen to me if it didn't. I was sick with fear that Carlisle might refuse to continue and tried to call out to him to get on and do it. Nothing could be worse than the torment I was trapped in right now, even death was preferable right now.

"It would seem your patient is eager to continue Carlisle but of course, it had to be your decision as his doctor."

I could hear the excited amusement in Aro's voice, he had put Carlisle in the position of making the choice so if I died he would be to blame and not Aro, the man was a real twenty four carat bastard and I just wished I could face him and kill the twisted sicko myself.


	33. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty Three**

 **Carlisle**

Aro had left me no choice but to proceed knowing the guilt would stay with me through eternity if this killed my patient even though without it he was sure to die and very, very, soon. It had occurred to me before I even contacted Aro that I might be saving Charlie's life only to leave him a prisoner of the Volturi if this antidote preserved him as a human. If that were the case then I had already made up my mind to stay and ensure that he remained safe.

"You seem reluctant to act Carlisle, could it be you are having second thoughts? Has it just occurred to you that should this treatment remove the damage the hybrid venom has caused and bring him back to full health as a human? Of course, if that were the case he could never be allowed to leave Volterra, that would be breaking one of our most important laws. After all he would be alive knowing of our secret. But no, surely you must have considered that before bringing him here. So what is it? Your conscience? You never baulked like this in the past. Of course, he could become fully vampire in which case after a period of adjustment we would be only too happy to offer him a place in the guard. An ex police officer would have skills we might find useful."

Charlie groaned and we both turned to look at him.

"I fear you are wasting time Carlisle or perhaps that would be the best option, wait and let nature take its course, you couldn't be blamed for his death then could you? Perhaps that would be the wisest course."

His condescending smile galvanized me into action and I took the murky looking liquid that Heidi had helped me to prepare and the empty syringe that lay on the table and drew up a large dose. The parchment that held the information about this potion had been vague, especially when it came to the dosage. In fact, if I had not been so desperate to do something I would have laughed at its scribbled words and crossed and blotted letters and numbers. It could be no more than the ramblings of a madman taken as the truth by someone finding it later or perhaps the scribblings of a bored child in antiquity who knew a little from a herbalist parent and dreamed of the blood drinker monsters of folklore. There was no way of telling and yet here I was about to treat a living breathing subject with an untried and unknown medicine.

 **Esme**

I had been nervous leaving Carlisle with Aro, especially to meet two perfect strangers and even once I had been introduced I felt no better. There was something about the two wives that made me uncomfortable. True they were young looking and very beautiful, both dressed exquisitely and expensively and their rooms reflected this sophistication being richly decorated with an eclectic mix of the very old and very modern. It was only once we had sat down to talk that I understood it was their eyes that unnerved me, not the colour, a deep crimson that although alien to me I had been expecting, but the sense of age and wisdom, even a little weariness. It seemed they had perhaps lived too long, there was nothing new or unusual in the world around them and I began to feel a little sympathy for these beautiful delicate looking birds in their gilded cage.

Both were eager for news of the outside world, of my home and family, the interior design work I did and they fired a multitude of questions which I tried to answer as fully as I could. The more we talked, the more they heard, the more relaxed they became and I suddenly understood they had been as nervous at the idea of meeting me as I had been at seeing them for the first time. Carlisle had spoken very little about Athenadora and Sulpicia they were almost an afterthought, he had always concentrated on their husbands and Marcus.

"I do hope we have the opportunity to see dear Carlisle soon, he was always a favorite of ours, so different from most of the Volturi."

Sulpicia's choice of words struck me as odd, had they considered Carlisle one of them when he had visited many centuries ago?

"How long was my husband with you? He talks so rarely about his time in Volterra."

The two women exchanged a glance before Athenadora answered.

"I think Carlisle found life here rather too stressful at the end. He came here early in 1703 and was with us for over a hundred and fifty years so perhaps that's why. I think it was his thirst for knowledge and his stubborn determination to find a way of life that gave him the opportunity to help humanity that attracted us to him, very unusual in a vampire as I'm sure you know. He learned so much during his stay but the loss of human life was simply too much for him to bear in the end and he left rather abruptly. Aro was delighted when he rang for help and I just know he's going to enjoy Carlisle's company just as he did before."

"Really? I don't think we will be staying long, I have a family back home that I am eager to return to."

They both smiled sympathetically.

"Yes, we heard about the novel family Carlisle created for you, such a sweet gesture, he must love you very much Esme. Personally I have never missed my family."

"You had a family when you were human Sulpicia?"

"Oh yes, two boys 3 and 7 and a girl aged 2 but when I met Aro I forgot all about them followed him and begged him to change me to take me with him."

"Oh, weren't you afraid when you discovered what he was?"

"No, I thought immortality a wonderful thing especially if I could share it with such a man. My husband tried to stop me leaving and Aro was forced to kill him, then I knew he loved me as much as I loved him, nothing was going to get between us."

"Do you know what happened to your children without a mother or father?"

She shrugged her shoulders and smiled,

"Oh I'm sure my sister took them in, she loved children but was barren so you see I did her a good turn. It was the best outcome for all of us."

I doubted her husband would have agreed with that statement but diplomatically decided it was best to hold my peace. I had decided I didn't like Aros wife any more than I had liked what I had seen and heard of him.

"Do you have any idea how long this is going to take? It was such a relief to find out that the Volturi could do something for poor Charlie."

Sulpicia grinned and it was not a pleasant expression while Athenadora merely looked away but I thought I detected a hint of disapproval in her eyes.

"My dear Esme, I doubt anyone knows what will happen when and if the antidote is administered to your human "friend"."

"I'm sorry? I thought Aro told Carlisle he had a possible cure."

"Oh, I'm sure he did, after all he wasn't going to allow an opportunity like that go to waste. My husband misses Carlisle, they were very close at one time and I know it pained Aro when Carlisle insisted on leaving. It has always been one of his greatest wishes that Carlisle might return to Volterra so when your husband rang asking for help Aro jumped at the chance to see him again."

"So, are you saying there is no cure?"

"I have no idea and I doubt Aro has either although I do believe that Marcus did discover an ancient document talking about saving a human who had been bitten by a monster in human form which appeared to be a vampire hybrid so who knows? Personally I think Aro will be delighted whatever happens. After all it's rare to find such an oddity as a half hybrid so whether he lives or dies it will increase our knowledge."

I was horrified, we had brought Charlie here in good faith believing there was a chance of saving him and now I find out it is merely a shot in the dark. Would Aro tell Carlisle this?

"I have to go, I need to see if it worked."

Athenadora stood quickly,

"Of course Esme, allow me to escort you."

She had moved so fast to forestall her friend who looked as if she wanted me to stay here until it was all over and scowled as we disappeared through the door into the corridor. It seemed we arrived at our destination, the great room where I had left Carlisle and Charlie much more quickly than on the outward journey and I wondered if Jane had taken me on a circuitous route for some reason of her own. As Athenadora reached for the door handle we both froze, from the other side came a blood curdling scream and I recognized it as coming from Charlie, it seemed I was already too late.


	34. Chapter 34

_**Chapter Thirty Four.**_

 _ **Bella**_

By the time we landed I had forgiven Jasper everything, what else could I do? Darius had been right, I had been drawn to my mate much as I hated to admit it and Jasper was the one. No matter how hard I had tried to hate him for leaving me with the others to face this mess alone and the near murder of my dad I couldn't. I believed him when he told me he had known nothing about Edward's decision until after the family had left and I knew if not for his swift action when he came looking for me and found Charlie, my dad would already be dead and at my hand. As it was we had no idea whether he had survived the flight or any cure that Aro had offered but we would soon.

Darius knew what had happened during the flight, vampire hearing meant he was up to date with everything and once on the ground and in the rental car on our way to Volterra he surprised me by telling the others of our bargain.

"Just how do you expect Bella to help you lure Caius out without putting herself in danger Darius? I mean I know his reputation, hell the whole world knows he's incapable of keeping his dick in his pants if he sees a pretty woman and I guess Bella fits into that category but she's still a newborn without experience at fighting."

I turned with a scowl at Peter who just grinned at me, he loved getting under someone's skin and I was just fuelling his amusement so I made a mental note to ignore his remarks in future.

Darius looked at me, he wasn't going to give away my secret but I could tell he thought Jasper had a right to know as my mate. However, I still felt just a little uneasy with all this happening on top of everything else I had wrestled with over the past few months and I glanced back at him with a warning. Jasper could probably feel my apprehension and tell I was withholding something but that couldn't be helped and knowing about my gift wasn't that important right now although it might be later if I found my dad was worse or God forbid, dead.

"Secrets have a nasty habit of biting you on the ass girl. Especially as we are in enemy territory and you are gonna hang yourself out as bait for a sex hungry centuries old vampire lecher. Cuz if you think we're gonna come in like the fucking cavalry to save your pretty little ass because you wanna play twenty fuckimg questions you are very mistaken and I promise you Darius may look good to go but he's no match for The Major and you'll need the best there is going against the Volturi freak."

I thought Darius might be offended by Peter's words but he just grinned and nodded,

"He's right Bella, if you want the best fighter there is he's sitting right next to you but if you want the most powerful then…"

He didn't need to finish the sentence but not doing so still got under Peter's skin and he sat mumbling angrily to himself but Jasper looked relaxed, as if he were on an afternoon with friends, not on his way to confront the most powerful beings in our world.

As we entered the walled town we fell silent and I felt a frisson of fear, within these walls lived the leaders of my new world and everyone I had met seemed to hold them in some kind of dread. The gifts they commanded were daunting and I understood why the Volturi had held onto power despite being feared and in some cases resented. Who could stand against a gift that could rob you of your senses or leave you writhing in agony? Who could possibly beat a gift that could force your loyalty or make you content with your lot? No one…...until now.

Darius pulled up in a narrow alley that was hardly wider than the car and turned to look at Jasper and I who had been sitting close but not touching during the journey. There was tension in the air and I don't mean just between Peter and Darius. I was attracted so strongly to Jasper I wished this was not necessary, that Charlie was safe and well at home and I could forget about everything. My need to save my dad and the bargain I had made with Darius. Then I could allow myself to admit to my feelings and find somewhere Jasper and I could be alone to express our love but now we had more pressing matters and it, we, would have to wait.

"You ready Major? I'll lead the way."

"Why you?"

Peter's voice was icy now, no hint of any of the comedian I had listened to on the plane, there was just cold suspicion.

"Because I know my way around the citadel and you don't. We can't afford to get lost and raise the alarm."

"And you can get us in without being detected? I'm impressed."

He wasn't, that was obvious, but Jasper nodded,

"You lead the way, we'll follow. Do you know where they are likely to have Charlie?"

"Yeah, I doubt there's a fucking clinic for sick humans."

"How perceptive of you Peter but there is a clinic funded by the Volturi in town although I doubt Charlie would have been taken there. It's just one of their many ways of keeping the humans happy to have the mysterious citadel here."

"So where?"

"The heart of the place, the audience chamber."

"And you know a way into the middle of that heap of stone that won't get us caught by the guard?"

"Actually no, I can get us in but then it's down to…."

He turned to me,

"I guess now would be a good time to tell them, after all they are going to see it in action soon enough."

Peter looked from Darius to me but Jasper's eyes never left my face and he smiled.

"I knew there was something different about you, your self confidence. I take it you have a gift that will prove useful to us?"

I nodded and explained as we made our way to the end of the alley which turned out to be a dead end.

"You able to walk through the fucking wall as well?"

Darius pointed to a large cast iron drain cover in the ground and Peter groaned,

"Oh great, we get to play fucking prairie dogs now, wonderful."

"It's the only way into the citadel that isn't guarded outside and once we are in I'm banking on Bella keeping us hidden."

We had discussed using my gift to cloak us some time ago and I had been very sceptical but Darius had proved it could be done. If I concentrated very hard I could make it appear we had disappeared from view. It was just a case of making my shield strong enough it appeared we did not exist to outsiders. It had been fun trying it out among the humans but this time it was for real and could mean the difference between success and Charlie's death provided Carlisle had managed to keep him alive thus far.

After dropping down into the old storm sewer we started to move carefully uphill towards the citadel able to see our way easily without the need for torches or lanterns that would soon have given our presence away. It was surprisingly dry and free of debris, it obviously didn't rain much here, unlike Forks where it would be full of water constantly. Jasper has taken my hand as we dropped and I felt comforted by the feel, so long as we were together I felt nothing bad could happen.

We had reached the end of the drain and found ourselves in a cellar system. Up ahead we could hear voices, the guards whose job it was to ensure no one entered this way were relaxed and talking, not expecting any trouble, and I concentrated wrapping my shield around our small group until we became invisible to the naked eye then we passed them silently. Darius ranged ahead checking for trouble and Peter dropped back slightly to watch our backs. It meant extra work for me extending my shield further than I had ever done but it seemed to work as we passed another silent figure just entering a room as we passed. Then I heard it, a terrible scream from up ahead. It was Charlie and they were obviously torturing him but at least he was still alive and we speeded up until Darius stopped at huge oaken doors looking to make sure we were ready before kicking them open for us to rush in.

The sight that met my eyes shook me, Charlie lay on the floor having fallen from the trolley that lay overturned beside him. He was writhing in agony, clawing at his skin as if trying to rip it off, blood smeared all over his bare arms. His eyes were blood red and rolling horrifically and I ran to kneel at his side, what had they done to him?

He was beyond hearing me and when I tried to hold him still, to stop him ripping at his skin he shook me off with a strength that was frightening even to me, a vampire. I had no idea what to do but Jasper who had joined me grabbed my arm,

"Do you trust me Bella?"

"Of course I do, why?"

He didn't bother to answer instead grasping Charlie's arms in a steely grip and sinking his teeth into my dad's neck.


	35. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five**

 **Carlisle**

It was evident the moment I injected the "cure" into Charlie's arm that something was terribly wrong. He went rigid for a moment then arched his back so fiercely that I feared he might snap his neck or spine, only his heels and the back of his head remained touching the surface of the trolley and then he began to scream and thrash about falling to the floor with a sickening thud. I looked on horrified as the door crashed open and Esme appeared with Athenadora, both looking horrified at the body twisting and clutching at itself on the floor before them. As Charlie began to tear at his flesh as if wanting to rip it from his body Aro grabbed hold of me and dragged me through into his study followed by the women, Athena having taken charge of Esme who would have fallen to her knees besides the screaming and bloodied form that had been Bella's father.

"What happened? What did you do to him?"

Esme's voice was frantic and accusatory only just audible over the screams from the other room which mercifully quietened as Athena closed the study door.

"The cure, it wasn't a cure at all. You lied to me Aro just to get me here. Why?"

"You said it yourself old friend, to get you here, I missed you and the cure may have worked, I never guaranteed it although I am curious as to what it is doing to our subject."

"Subject? That's a living person out there Aro, going through the fires of hell it would seem and you are just curious? You're a monster."

"Carlisle, I think you are being a little melodramatic. True the cure didn't work as we expected but you have no way of knowing just what is going on. Becoming a vampire is painful as you know only too well so perhaps this is just the cure working its wonder."

I looked at the man I had considered a friend once upon a time but now all I saw was the monster inside. Aro had never made any secret of his disdain for humans and his amusement at me for caring about them but this? I felt sick to my stomach.

"Is there nothing you can do Carlisle? We can't leave Charlie like that, listen, you can still hear his suffering through this heavy door."

Athena was staring accusingly at Aro,

"You never expected it to work did you Aro? You just like torturing things weaker than yourself. I blame this place and the centuries. They have warped your perspective, corrupted not only you but Caius too, death and torture mean nothing to you, you revel in it. I hate you and everything you stand for."

I was shocked to hear this, what had happened to Corin making everyone happy and Chelsea making them compliant?

Before Aro could answer we noticed that silence had fallen in the outer chamber, was Charlie dead? Or had something even worse befallen him as a result of that damned potion? Esme wrenched the door open and we burst in only to see Charlie writhing but now in silence with Jasper and Bella kneeling over him. Standing a little to one side, both ready for action watching the doors warily were Jasper's friend Peter and another who looked vaguely familiar.

Aro was furious, it seemed Esme was right, he was angry mainly because his experiment had been ruined by Jasper who had seemingly bitten Charlie, did he really think that would work after I had discarded it as too dangerous. Too dangerous? That was ironic as I had almost certainly killed him with Aro's accursed "cure". Was it possible Jasper had been the one to save him yet again? I felt a fool, an old and extremely egotistical fool thinking no one but the Volturi could help me with this when all they had done was to make things so much worse.

"Well, well, Darius, you decided on a revisit? Rather foolish of you but I'm sure Caius will be only too pleased to rid himself of his own personal bogeyman. You have certainly kept him a prisoner here long enough. Tired of life without your sweet Sara? I don't blame you, life must have been torture over the years."

So the other man was Darius, I thought I had been mistaken, it was suicidal to come here with Caius having the whole of the Volturi guard to aid him, so why had he done it?

Darius merely smiled as Jasper lifted Bella to her feet and walked her away from her father and into the corridor not waiting to see if we would follow him. We did so, after all there was little anyone could do for Charlie now. If he were becoming a vampire then we had a lengthy wait which would be dangerous enough here among the Volturi and if he were dying….well, there was still nothing I could do to help and at least he was now quiet although that in itself was eerie and unnatural.

We gathered together in the corridor and Aro whirled on Darius.

"Just how did you get in without being challenged? I doubt the same route will be available to you for your escape."

Darius smiled widely,

"Oh I don't know Aro, I might just surprise you. I guess you'd like to give Caius a call, tell him I'm here? Be my guest."

"He'll know soon enough, the guard will have heard the disturbance and will be on their way here as we speak."

Athena looked concerned,

"Go Darius please, before my husband arrives. You don't stand a chance, not when he can call on the guard for help and you know he will if he thinks you might beat him in a fair fight."

"Oh, I doubt he needs to think about that for long Athenadora. He stands no chance, playing fair or foul. Let him come, his time is rapidly coming to an end so you might want to say goodbye."

There was a terrible crashing noise from within the chamber and Bella moved towards the entrance but before she could open it the heavy wooden doors crashed against the wall tearing them from their hinges and showering everyone in dust from the crushed and flaking stone. Was this Caius come to kill his nemesis? I hadn't expected him to arrive from that direction, through the chamber, it seemed an odd way to make his presence known but then he had always been theatrical, it fed his enormous ego.

Bella gasped,

"Dad?"

Through the opening strode an extremely dangerous looking Charlie. Jasper's bite had woken him from whatever had been going on in his body and his red eyes gleamed with malice as they locked onto Aro who tried to back away while calling for the guard who came running. Peter, Darius and Jasper stood blocking their way although Jane and Alec were not far behind and no one could stand against their gifts.

"Ah, Bella. Looks like we're gonna need you….like now."

She turned away from Charlie reluctantly at Peter's comment and moved to stand with the guys while I couldn't take my eyes from her father. His face worked as the rage grew in him, the unstoppable rage of a newborn and I knowing how unpredictable they could be grabbed Esme, pushing her behind me. My action caught Charlie's attention for a second and Aro moved in swiftly for the kill.

I thought Charlie was dead for real this time, Aro may be centuries old but he was ruthless and cunning. As he reached for Charlie calling for Jane to join him Charlie stepped into his embrace and they crashed to the floor raising another cloud of dust that almost obscured them for a moment and then I heard it, a terrible, weak, terrified scream that was cut off abruptly and Aro sank back to the floor in an untidy heap while Charlie stood looking somewhat confused and to my relief a lot less agitated.

"What happened? I hardly touched him and he collapsed. I wanted to tear the bastard limb from limb but he just went limp whimpering like that."

Jane and the other guards made the fatal mistake at that moment of attempting to move forward catching Charlie's attention and he attacked, or at least he tried to but something restrained him just as it was keeping the Volturi at bay and then they dropped as Darius shouted for Bella to stand down. It appeared he had seen or knew something I had not.


	36. Chapter 36

_**Chapter Thirty Six**_

 **Bella**

 _It felt good being useful, being able to stop a horde of vampire warriors from reaching those I loved and yes, even Peter, so I was rather sorry when Darius asked me to stand down. Then Charlie pushed through and launched himself at the black cloaked figures but before he could reach them they fell writhing and screaming in agony to the floor just as if they had been hit by Jane's gift. I recognized this because both Darius, and Edward before him, had told me about the evil bitch who could torture a man by merely looking at him. Did Charlie have a similar gift?_

 **Jasper**

 _Bella had protected us from the guard, even from Jane, her gift was powerful indeed but I had never seen anything like Charlie before, whatever he was doing had been instinctual, he was a newborn, he'd had no time to discover his vampire nature. But then I had never seen a vampire transformation go as speedily as his had. Perhaps the suffering he had undergone all this time had meant the transformation had almost been completed and my injection of venom finished the job or maybe it had something to do with Aro's potion, there was no way of telling and I was just relieved he had survived for Bella's sake. Perhaps once her obligation to Darius was fulfilled we could finally spend some time alone together and work out our own destiny, but for now there were other things that needed our attention._

 _I turned to see Carlisle kneeling beside Aro who had gained his knees but seemed unable to rise further, Peter and Darius were watching in amusement as the Volturi guard, including Jane, rolled around on the floor suffering. Charlie stood above them a little confused and I walked to his side slowly, whatever his gift was I for one did not want to be on the receiving end of it. As he turned to look at me they fell silent and I saw them rising to their feet. I glanced at Bella who nodded, her shield was up and protecting us once more._

" _What the hell just happened Jasper? What happened to me? I feel different, great, but different and Bella…"_

 _He ran to her throwing his arms awkwardly around her in what was obviously an unusual show of affection. She hugged him back and then in quiet tones tried to explain what had happened although the full story would have to wait for a better time. I joined Aro crouching down to look at him closely. His jaw was slack and his eyes unfocused,_

" _What happened? What's the matter with him?"_

" _I have no idea Jasper. He hasn't spoken and I'm not sure he can even hear me. Aro? Aro, do you know who I am? Where you are?"_

 _He turned his head slowly and smiled but his gaze was directed over Carlisle's shoulder and there was nothing there except a stone wall._

" _Aro? Where? Is this a castle? A temple? Where are my brothers?"_

 _Whatever gift Charlie had, it had played hell with Aro's brain._

" _Oh, it's not good, terrible thoughts, evil thoughts and deeds. Listen, can you hear them? They're in the wall whispering to me, all their darkest thoughts, blood and destruction, pain, lots of blood and lots of fear."_

 _He slumped back putting his hands over his ears and muttering quietly to himself._

 _Carlisle stood up brushing himself down and threw a glance at Charlie and Bella,_

" _I think somehow Charlie twisted Aro's gift in on himself and its scrambled his brain, hearing all those thoughts, maybe even his own, centuries of them."_

" _So there is some justice in the world after all. You think Charlie's affected the others in the same way? They don't look like it."_

 _We turned to see the guard standing looking murderous but uncertain what to do without Aro's guidance._

 _Then we saw Caius appear striding towards us and his eyes locked on Darius who stood looking relaxed although there was tension in the muscles around his eyes. Caius stopped beside the guards looking in concern at Aro who was now standing with shoulders hunched still muttering to himself._

" _Aro? What's the matter? Why are these people here?"_

 _Aro turned at his name and then shrieked holding out a shaking finger pointed at his "brother"._

" _You, shame on you for your lecherous thoughts. You should do penance, dip your cheating member in the fountain, cool it down."_

 _Peter sniggered at Caius' horrified look,_

" _What have you done to him?"_

" _Me? Nothing but I think his latest experiment went a little awry. Anyway you have more important things to worry about."_

 _Charlie and Bella joined me gazing at Caius who was trying to keep an eye on me and Darius who was the other side of the wide corridor._

" _Who's this? Was he involved in luring us here?"_

" _No Charlie, I doubt he knows anything about it."_

" _Let me at him. I'll soon get the truth."_

 _I grasped his arm shaking my head,_

" _There's a line forming and Darius is at the head so you'll just have to wait your turn."_

 _Caius turned to Santiago who headed the guard milling around, much to Jane's disgust._

" _What are you waiting for? Kill them all."_

" _What about Aro?"_

" _Him too, it's obvious they've destroyed his mind."_

 _As the guard started forward, a little wary now, I glanced at Bella and she nodded as they began to approach only to be stopped by her shield once more._

" _Go on, kill them."_

 _Santiago turned on him angrily,_

" _We tried Caius but we can't get close, there's some kind of force field around them. You try."_

 _Darius took a couple of steps forward his arms outstretched,_

" _Good idea Caius, come on, if you are man enough."_

 _The Volturi leader hesitated but he could hardly turn and run from his opponent's mocking challenge so he took a step forward only to hit Bella's shield and I swear I saw a look of relief flash across his eyes. Bella must have seen it too because she stepped to Darius' side,_

" _You want me to let him through?"_

" _I do, I want to see my husband defend himself against the man whose mate he murdered. It seems it's crunch time at last Caius and not before time."_

 _Caius threw a dangerous look at his wife who gazed back impassively standing with Esme who looked horrified, obviously she hadn't known the history between Caius and Darius either._

" _Time to fight, time to fight, come on boys, no breaking the rules, no hair pulling or biting. Come on, come on."_

 _Aro was dancing in excitement, a mad gleam in his eyes and Carlisle grabbed a hold of him as he tried to get through the shield to drag Caius forward._

" _It's done Darius, he's all yours."_

 _At Bella's words Darius leapt forward and grabbed Caius by his shirt pulling him away from Santiago and the other guards to our side of the shield which I saw Bella had put back in place as Jane tried to follow and was brought up short._

 _Caius was a competent warrior but Darius had centuries of anger and revenge stored up and nothing was going to stop him now. For a time Caius was able to hold his own and even got in a few punches and throws of his own but he had been out of it far too long and it was beginning to show. Then Aro, who had broken free of Carlisle's grip tried to grasp Caius arm and threw him off balance. He went crashing to the floor and Darius descended on him like an avenging angel._

 _After that the outcome was obvious although Caius died hard. Darius was not content to kill him, he tortured him first, ripping his prey to shreds like an eagle before finally building a pyre of the parts and setting them on fire to watch grimly as the body burned to ashes._

" _A fire? Goody, I love flames."_

 _Aro got too close to the pyre and as he turned, his cloak caught alight and Carlisle had to take him down and roll him on the floor to douse them. Personally I would have let him burn for what he had done to Charlie but it wasn't my call. All we could do was to wait for the smoke to clear and decide on our next move._


	37. Chapter 37

_**Chapter Thirty Seven**_

 _ **Bella**_

 _Like the others I was stunned by Darius' ferocity and Carlisle saving Aro when from what I had heard he deserved to die. What Charlie has done to him and how I couldn't begin to understand but thinking about it, I had a gift I had been unaware of so why not my dad? I was sad that he had lost his human life and been forced to become a vampire and felt terribly guilty as it had all been my fault. Jasper had tried to convince me that James was ultimately to blame for attacking me in the first place but that only led me back to Edward and his actions. If he had allowed the transformation to be completed none of this would have happened. The more I thought about that the more determined I became to ensure that he at least should pay for Charlie's torment, and mine._

 _When the flames died we went back into the large chamber and sat down together, Jasper at one side of me and Darius at the other. Athena had ordered Jane to fetch Marcus and instructed the rest of the guards to wait for further orders. Aro was watching everything but didn't seem to comprehend what was happening and I wondered if the effects of Charlie's gift would be permanent. Carlisle seated himself beside his old "friend" and dad joined them, after all he was as confused as the rest of us._

" _What now?"_

 _Jasper shrugged,_

" _I guess that depends on Marcus once he hears what happened. He's the only ruler left."_

" _Not quite Major."_

 _The woman who had ordered the guard to stop their attack was standing behind us and it was she who had spoken._

" _My husband is dead, may his soul rot in hell, but Sulpicia and I still have places on the council."_

 _Before anyone could question her further about this another man entered the room followed by a sullen but silent company of the guard and the tension in the room increased. Marcus was a giant of a man with the look of someone who had been imprisoned for centuries and was now seeing the light of day for the first time. Darius had explained what Aro did to him and I understood the look but I wondered if he still felt a certain responsibility to avenge his "brothers". If so we could still be in some danger, I had no idea if I could shield us all if the guard attacked in force or if Charlie had control of his strange and as yet unexplained gift. I felt Jasper take my hand and suddenly I wasn't afraid, with him by my side I knew I would always be safe and never be alone again._

 _Marcus took the only vacant seat and leaned back, his eyes travelling over us all in silence._

" _Who are you? That's my seat, they're all my seats, everything here is mine. I know because they tell me."_

" _Who Aro? Who speaks to you?"_

 _He turned to Carlisle with a mad light in his eyes,_

" _The voices, can't you hear them? They're all around us and they whisper to me, tell me lots of things. How you are all my….my….."_

 _He drifted off as if in a trance and Marcus finally broke his silence ignoring his old friend._

" _I understand Caius is dead."_

" _Yes, I promised to kill him one day and I finally made good on my promise."_

" _I see. And Aro? Are you responsible for what has happened to him too Darius?"_

" _Unfortunately not, we aren't quite sure what has happened to him."_

 _I tensed as those red intense eyes fastened on Charlie,_

" _I sense you are the reason Aro seems out of his mind."_

 _Charlie shrugged,_

" _Beats me but I guess so. Do you have any idea what he did to me? How he lied to get me here?"_

" _Actually I do, Aro used to tell me all his plans, it amused him to know I might disapprove but could do nothing about it. I am sorry but your present form is not his fault."_

" _No, I guess that was Bella but she had no control over what was happening to her either and no idea that by attacking me she had condemned me."_

" _Ah yes Bella, now you I am interested in, unlike Aro I am interested in hybrids for the sake of science, not what they could do for him. I do hope you will consent to talking to me about your voyage of discovery to vampirism. But of course there are more pressing problems that must be dealt with. Darius, you are responsible for the death of a brother but under the circumstances I feel there would be little point in holding a trial. You are exonerated but….."_

 _We all tensed now but Marcus smiled and it lit up his face making him look far less foreboding._

" _I have someone who would very much like to see you. I'm just sorry I was unable to help sooner but as you know my actions and even my thoughts were not my own."_

 _As he finished speaking there was the sound of running footsteps and a beautiful young woman appeared. I heard a strangled word from Darius,_

" _Sara? Sara? Is this possible?"_

 _She threw herself into Darius' arms and the two became lost in a world of their own while everyone else looked back at Marcus._

" _Caius allowed Darius to believe his mate was dead and Aro went along with him. She's been a prisoner here, deep in the archives for a very long time. All I could do was to keep her safe from any further advances of his."_

 _The reunited couple melted from the room deep in whispered conversation and he returned to the matters in hand._

" _It seems the Volturi have a new ruling body, myself, Athena, and Sulpicia if she wishes although she may prefer to concentrate on her husband in his present illness. Now, as for our newest vampire, Charlie is it?"_

 _My dad nodded,_

" _It seems you have a rather dangerous gift and it would be remiss of me to allow you to leave until it has been explored and you can prove you are able to control it. Will that be a problem Charlie?"_

 _My dad shook his head,_

" _It scares the crap outta me so no, I don't have a problem with that, provided its not as a prisoner."_

" _From what I hear you are used to being on the other side of the fence and perhaps your skills as a law man will be of some use, I fancy our command of the law has become rather slack under Aro."_

 _I wondered what he meant by that but Jasper was smiling and whispered in my ear,_

" _I think you might just be about to get some justice after all."_

 _The guards moved forward muttering until Marcus held up his hand and then silence fell._

" _There will be a meeting of the new council later today when any grievances you have will be discussed but for now I suggest you spread the word of Caius' death and Aro's incapacity."_

 _They all turned to leave except Jane who remained behind along with a young man who resembled her closely._

" _Yes, Jane?"_

" _If Aro's incapacity becomes permanent then I assume you will be looking to fill any gaps on the council. I know Aro intended to promote Alec and I."_

" _Really? Well, we'll see what the present members think later. For now I suggest you find someone to repair the doors and the damage to the stonework."_

 _They both scowled obviously believing this task too menial for them but as Marcus continued to stare at them they slowly turned and walked discontentedly from the room._

" _You might have a problem there Marcus and with their gifts they are very powerful."_

" _Oh, I think they'll come to heel pretty quickly when Chelsea has a quiet word with them and they are the least of my problems right now. There has been a serious breach of the law concerning both Bella and her father I understand and that is something that must be addressed as quickly as possible."_

 _Now I understood Jaspers whispered words and settled down to hear what the new Volturi leader had to say._


	38. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty Eight**

 **Carlisle**

I hadn't missed the exchange between Jasper and Bella, I knew as well as they did that Edward was going to be in mortal danger once Marcus found out it was my son who had told Bella about us and then left her alive and human and he would be seen as the guilty party although we were all equally to blame, or at least I was for backing him. Unlike Bella who had good reason to hate us, to hate Edward most of all, I was not prepared to allow the Volturi to take away his life if I could possibly help it. The trouble was I had done enough damage already, bringing Charlie here with Aro's promise of a cure. A promise I guess in my heart I knew was possible bogus. I had a lot of making up to do, to everyone.

Marcus waited until the guard has gone before speaking but I knew whatever he had to say would carry the full weight of the Volturi even so. For now he was the Volturi, he and Athena, and she was watching me with grave suspicion, I would get no help from that quarter.

He addressed Bella first,

"I'd like to hear from your own mouth what led to this if you don't mind Bella."

She hesitated looking to Jasper, perhaps for support and he nodded in encouragement but then he had an ax to grind with Edward too. He had been furious at the way we left Forks and if truth be told he was also the one who had pointed out the danger of the relationship between Edward and Bella when it first started.

"I'm not sure what to say really."

"Then let me help you get to the crux of the matter. I understand you knew about vampires before you became one yourself. Was it the vampire who bit you, whose venom failed to work fully that told you of our existence?"

It was clear he didn't believe so for a moment but he waited for her reply.

"No, I already knew about vampires before James bit me."

"Then who did tell you Bella?"

"I guessed really, and my friend Jake, one of the Quileutes gave me some clues."

Marcus frowned, he didn't like the idea that Bella had been friendly with guardians.

"You guessed? Wasn't that quite a stretch?"

"Not when I was dating a vampire no, Edward gave me enough clues to make me curious and when I confronted him with the fact he admitted as much."

"Was this before or after you met with James?"

"Before."

"So Edward knew you were aware of his true nature?"

"Yes."

"And the rest of the family? Were they also aware?"

She hesitated, it was gratifying to see that she wasn't out to destroy us all as Jasper had asserted earlier.

"Yes they were but I promised to keep their secret and I did, even after Edward abandoned me."

"Abandoned you? Are you telling me he walked away leaving you behind?"

"Yes he did."

"And then you met James?"

"No, James tried to track me down and kill me for fun. Edward and his family tried to keep me safe and would have if James hadn't tricked me into meeting him. He attacked and bit me and then Edward sucked the venom out."

Marcus looked taken aback by this and I didn't blame him, I had been proud of Edward's self control myself at the time.

"I see, why?"

"I don't know, or I didn't at the time. It turned out he was never in love with me and didn't want me as a vampire in his life for eternity."

"So he and the others left you? Not knowing what, if any, effect James' bite might still have on you?"

"Yes, that's right."

Marcus glanced at Athena who motioned for him to step away from us so they could converse in private and as they left the room Bella relaxed.

"Nosy fucker isn't he? Sounds like my friend Edward is in just a bit of trouble wouldn't you say Carlisle. Not the boy with the golden gonads after all. I wonder what they'll decide to do with him, after all he broke just about every law the Volturi have. I reckon he'll be wishing I'd made good on my threat and fed him to the fucking fishes after all."

I tried to ignore Peter Whitlock's obvious enjoyment of the proceedings but he was right, Edward could be condemned to death for his actions, all of us could come to that.

"Do you hear them? They are baying for blood, human, vampire it's all the same to them. They are thirsty and the lord of the stores will have to satiate them somehow before they ooze from the walls to feast on us all."

I was shocked back to the realization Aro was still here by his latest outburst. He was speaking more truthful than he could possibly imagine and that frightened me.

 **Bella**

I wondered what this Marcus would decide to do with Edward. I hadn't forgiven any of them completely but he was still the one I blamed most of all for what had happened. It hadn't really occurred to me that the whole family could be put to death but I did remember the law against revealing their nature to humans. I was now in a quandary, yes I wanted them all punished but not dead, not even Edward if I were truthful, revenge didn't mean much to me any longer not after all the trouble Carlisle and Esme had gone to in order to save Charlie. Of course I still felt cold towards them, I even felt a little aggrieved at Jasper despite his story of only finding out what they had done some weeks later. Why did it take him so long to find me? Why wait so long to apologize? This was something we would have to thrash out later, I would forgive him but he was going to have to work for it, I deserved that much.

Marcus and Athena weren't gone long but when they reappeared another huge member of the guard was with them and I heard Jasper's whisper of acknowledgment,

"Felix"

"Who is he?"

"I thought he was Aro's chief enforcer but it seems he now works for Marcus. He's lightening quick despite his size and tremendously strong, not to mention loyal to the Volturi. Word has it he was one of Aro's first acquisitions. If he's here they must be anticipating trouble."

 **Carlisle**

When I saw Felix I froze, they would only have brought him in if they had something unpleasant to say but they sat back down and he moved ignored by them to stand behind Marcus' chair, a menacing figure whose cold emotionless eyes moved from one to another of us stopping briefly when he reached me.

"Carlisle, as head of your coven is there anything you would like to say in your defense?"

"We trusted Bella, she never gave me any indication that she would reveal our secret to anyone and indeed she didn't, even after we left. It was ultimately my decision to go, not Edwards."

Esme rose to interrupt but Marcus waved her back and she subsided a little afraid of these people she knew so little of.

"Whether or not Bella could be trusted is not the issue. You know of our laws and the penalty for breaking them."

"Yes, I do and if anyone should be punished it should be me."

"Oh, we are aware of your position in all this but it does not exonerate the person who actually told Bella of our secret and then made the decision to leave her alive."

"Please….."

Athena put her hand up,

"Silence Carlisle, you had your opportunity to talk, now you will listen to our decisions."

Decisions? That sounded worrying, were all my family to be punished for what Edward and I had chosen to do with regard to Bella?

"Thank you Athenadora. We have taken into account that Bella kept our secret and that certain members of your "family" did indeed argue against telling Bella and about leaving her the way you did. As a result of this we are prepared to be lenient to some. The Cullen coven must be disbanded even though I understand how upset that will make you and Esme. To ensure compliance while Rosalie, Emmett, and Alice will be allowed to go their own way and can stay as a group if they so wish. Bella and The Major are also free to leave as they appear to have pulled something from the train wreck your decision caused. Both you and Esme will remain here as our "guests" until such time as we decide to allow you to leave. While here you will be free to practice medicine in the town and Esme may continue her business but no overseas trips. I understand from Athena that it is important to you."

Esme nodded looking strained and relieved all at once but I was worried, Edward hadn't been mentioned yet.

"As for Edward we feel he carries the most responsibility, it was his decision to break the law and he will bear the brunt of the punishment. The usual sentence as you know is death Carlisle."

I stood up shouting at him, how could he possible think of killing my first born?

I felt heavy weights on my shoulders and glancing round came face to chest with Felix who had moved so fast I hadn't seen him in my agitation. He bore down on me and I crashed back to my seat then he bent over so we were face to face,

"Sit quietly and listen or I'll be forced to make you and I really don't want to do that Carlisle."

Marcus continued as if nothing had happened.

"However, Edward does have a valuable gift and for this reason he will be given a choice. He can join the Volturi, live here in Italy and serve us or he can feel the full force of Volturi justice. I think that is more than fair under the circumstances."

I sagged, I had lost everything I held dear and caused Esme to lose her family but we would escape with our lives and that was something.


	39. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty Nine**

 **Darius**

I could hardly believe my eyes or even my arms when Sara ran into them. I had believed her dead for centuries at the hand of Caius but what he had done was infinitely worse and he had broken every law of the Volturi in doing so. I was glad he was dead although I felt he had gotten off far too lightly but I had my sweet Sara in my arms once more. It must have been the fact she lived even if unknown to me that had allowed me to continue down the centuries. If not for Bella and her father it might have been centuries longer or never before I found my beloved still lived.

Once outside we sat by one of the fountains and she told me her story between kisses and caresses as I reassured myself that she was real and not a figment of my imagination that might vanish in a second.

"I didn't know you were alive either Darius, not until Marcus told me you were here for me. Caius told me he had killed you and was going to keep me as his concubine in the catacombs. They are vast and no one knows their full extent. He told me no one would ever find me, that no one knew I was here. I wanted to kill myself but he had me watched constantly by a pair of guards who were loyal to him. Then they became complacent, I had been crushed by the thought you were dead and didn't have the heart to do anything and he kept me weak from lack of blood to drink."

I pulled her close and held the familiar soft body against mine, inhaled the scent of her, and buried my face in her long silky hair. Eventually I pulled back only reluctantly and she continued.

"Then one day I heard footsteps and voices, I thought it was the guards changing over as usual but there was the sound of a scuffle and a dull thud and I hid in the darkness at the back of my room. When I recognized Marcus I was scared, why was he here? He held out a hand and spoke to me very softly and gently. He had become suspicious that Caius was up to something and started to follow him although it wasn't easy, Caius was always very careful. He told me he would keep me safe, that I would never have to suffer Caius' advances again and for some reason I believed him. It wasn't until much later that I discovered what Aro had done to his sister, to Marcus' wife. He had been kept in the dark for centuries, kept compliant by Chelsea but then she and Athena became friends and knowing of Aro's shocking secret they decided to help him. Chelsea freed him from her compulsion and he had been slowly coming back to himself. I owe him my life, my safety Darius."

"Then I owe him a debt of gratitude too."

We had forgotten all that happened before in our joy at being reunited.

 **Bella**

I couldn't wait to leave Volterra and all its terrible associations behind although I would miss Charlie. He seemed quite happy to remain here and learn more about his gift and although he had forgiven me for my attack on him and its consequences I felt he would never quite forget that I had fled rather than explaining to him what had happened and asking for his help. I was proud however to hear that Marcus had asked him to advise on updating their laws and policing them more efficiently.

"Guess my cop days aren't quite over after all Bells and you can come visit me. Hopefully I'll understand just what this gift of mine really does and why it affected Aro so badly."

He wasn't a prisoner and once he had promised to go straight back to Volterra he was allowed to go with us to the airport and wave me off along with Peter, Darius and Sara who was only too pleased to be leaving the place of her centuries old imprisonment.

I liked Sara, she was sweet and funny and Darius was a different man with her by his side. She rounded off the rough edges that centuries of bitterness and hatred had carved into him and he began to smile more.

"I hope I get as warm a reception when I get home, Charlotte can get a little testy if I'm away too long."

"You have a wife?"

He scowled at me,

"Sure I do. Why is that such a fucking shock to you?"

I shrugged,

"I guess I couldn't imagine anyone who would put up with your arrogance and self satisfaction, not to mention your foul mouth."

I didn't actually mean any of it, he had proved a good and loyal friend to Jasper over the past weeks.

"It was good of Marcus to give me the job of breaking the good news to Eddie boy, I can imagine his reaction at hearing he's going to live in Volterra for the next few centuries. I just hope Rose and Em kept him hogtied or there'll be big fucking trouble."

"I guess I feel a little sorry for Rose."

Jasper looked at me questioningly,

"I thought you hated us all at one time."

"I still do, some of you but Rose was never a hypocrite. She made it plain what she thought of my presence, I'm glad Marcus agreed to leave her and Emmett alone."

"And what about me?"

I turned to Jasper with a sigh,

"That's a conversation I'm not having here in public."

He nodded gravely and turned his attention to Peter who was smirking,

"Well, I may not be the only guy with his balls in a wringer after all, that's good to know."

Darius and Sara had turned down Peter's suggestion that they go home with him, I think they just wanted some time alone and I didn't blame them, Jasper and I needed the same but there were loose ends to tie up first. Instead they promised to visit the following month.

"By then the smoke should have settled and the casts come off Peter."

Darius was grinning as he spoke and Peter gave him the universal signal of contempt, the middle finger.

"Hey Darius, if you need some help, you know, if it's a little rusty you can always call on me for advice."

Darius and Sara drove off together like a couple going on their honeymoon, they looked so happy and we made our way back to the Cullen house where Rosalie and Emmett had Edward secured in the basement.

"It was more peaceful for us once he fused his tongue back in place."

"You put Humpty together again? What the fuck did I tell you? He was ready to ship out and now I've got to take him apart again. Mind, it will be fun!"

Rose threw Jasper a concerned look but he just shrugged,

"When Peter's in this kind of mood it's best to just let him get on with things, less painful too."

They could tell from my look that there was bad news coming and when I explained Marcus ruling Rose hung her head, hurt that she was to be parted from Esme and Carlisle, the only family she had except for Emmett.

"It could have been worse Rosie, we could have ended up in Volterra too. Come on, look on it like an adventure, hell we went off on our own for years at a time anyway."

"I know, but they were always there if and when we wanted to come home and now they are prisoners."

"I hate to point out that it could have been much worse Rosalie but they could be dead."

She nodded at Jasper's valid point.

"I guess so, and we still have you and Alice and…."

She looked at me appealingly,

"Yes, and me too I guess."

She smiled but underneath she was hurting badly and I couldn't say that I didn't feel for her, I actually respected Rosalie for saying what she felt, consequences be damned. I just hoped I would have her courage when my turn came.


	40. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty**

 **Jasper**

I knew although Bella recognized me as her mate and loved me as I did her she had not totally forgiven me for abandoning her just like the others. She was conflicted and I wondered just how long it would be before I could win all of her back. I longed for the time we could be as one but until Edward was in Volterra, Peter back with Charlotte and Rose and Emmett settled on a new future without the others, that could not be. We would just have to be patient a while longer.

We followed Emmett down the steps to the basement door which was reinforced with iron bars and heavy padlocks. Seeing my skeptical look he grinned,

"Don't worry Jazz, I stationed myself outside this door once we had him inside and he hasn't had any blood since then so he's too weak to break out although his voice is still as good as ever, listen."

Edward had heard our approach and began shouting at the top of his voice,

"Let me out you degenerate bastard. You can't keep me here and when I do get out I'll…"

His voice trailed off as he sensed our thoughts then his voice became wheedling.

"Bella? Bella, you won't let them take me to Volterra will you? They only want me for my gift, I'll be held a prisoner, I'll never get free again, you have to talk them out of it please."

I glanced at Bella, would she be moved by such a piteous plea from the man she had once loved? I needn't have worried, there was nothing but scorn in her expression.

"You think I care about you Edward? Or what happens to you now? After all you've put me through I'd have preferred to see you dead but this is the next best thing and hopefully you will suffer just like I did for a very long time. I asked Marcus to make sure Chelsea didn't make you happy to serve the Volturi or Corin make you content. I want you to suffer and all the while you can think how much I lost as a result of your actions."

There was a crashing sound from within and a clank of chains.

"Yeah, I guess the shackles might have been overkill but I just liked the idea. So, he's really going then?"

I nodded in reply to Emmett who shrugged,

"I guess he deserves it but what about us Bella? Are you looking for a way to punish us too?"

"No, I think having your family ripped apart is punishment enough and Rosalie deserves better, she at least never hid her feelings about me so she never betrayed me like the rest of you."

I felt the barb of that comment stab me in the chest but I remained silent.

"Are they coming to fetch him? Or are we supposed to take him there?"

"I think if I were you I'd stay well away from Volterra Em." 

He could see I meant my words and nodded,

"So, how long do we need to wait for them to collect him? Rose and I would rather get packed and get the hell out of here as soon as possible."

Peter stepped forward and held out his hand for the padlock key,

"No sweat Emmett, I'll be escorting Edward to the airport and make sure he's handed over safely to the guards. It will be my pleasure."

As he spoke he unlocked the door and pushed it open to reveal a scared looking Edward cowering in a corner.

"Don't let him take me, I'll never reach Volterra alive Bella, you have no idea what he did to me, how he tortured me before."

"Actually I do and I don't give a damn Edward." 

She turned her back on Edward who continued to plead with her and then Emmett while she nodded at Peter.

"So long as he arrives alive in Volterra I don't think Marcus will care much what shape he's in." 

Peter smiled broadly,

"I know just what you mean Bella."

He entered the room and grabbed Edward by his collar pulling him to his feet. The chains rattled and I wondered if Edward was shaking in fear, I think I might have been seeing the malevolent look on Peter's face as he unshackled Edward and bundled him towards the door. Edward was too weak to put up much resistance but he tried. At least until Peter snapped off the fingers that were scrabbling at the door post in a futile effort to stop himself being pushed up the stairs.

"Fuck, they must have been loose! Put them in my pocket will you Emmett. I'll make sure to return them later, much later."

We followed the pathetic heap that was Edward up from the basement and outside where Peter had the car waiting, the trunk open ominously.

"Now, are you gonna be a good little boy and sit nice and quiet for the trip to the airport or do you want to travel in the trunk again?"

Edward tried to speak but his teeth were chattering so badly it was difficult to make out the words. Peter frowned,

"I'm not sure what you said so just to be on the safe side I think I'll chuck you in here."

He picked Edward up and threw him in the trunk bending his legs at an odd angle so he could shut the back down.

"I really should get a bigger car if I'm gonna be transporting bodies around the country, this ones a bit snug. Never mind, it's not far, unless of course I get lost on the way, then we could be traveling for hours."

He was making it clear that Edward wasn't getting away from him quite as soon as he might have wished.

Peter opened the driver's door then turned back and held out his hand,

"It's been a pleasure Bella and don't forget my invitation. Charlotte's gonna be thrilled to meet The major's mate, provided of course you don't scorch his ass for being an asshole."

Bella shook it solemnly,

"I look forward to meeting the saint who married you Peter."

He laughed then swung himself into the car revved the engine and took off with a squeal of brakes and a jaunty wave out of the window.

Bella then turned to me,

"He will get to Volterra won't he? We promised Marcus and Athenadora."

"He will, probably just not as quickly as they might have hoped. Let Peter have his fun after all it's not as if Edward doesn't deserve it now is it?"

She eyed me without smiling,

"No, he deserves it and hopefully he'll learn his lesson and no one else will be forced to endure what I did."

I nodded,

"Well, I guess it's time we made a move too. Where were you thinking of going next?"

She shrugged,

"I've no idea. I have no home, no family, or at least no family I can contact so I guess I don't really care Jasper."

"Then allow me to find somewhere we can be alone."

"To talk."

I nodded,

"Yes, to talk. I know I have a lot of explaining and apologizing to do Bella but please let me try to make things right."

"OK, I guess it's time now."

We said goodbye to Rosalie and Emmett and promised to stay in touch sad that Alice had already left having seen what would happen. She had gone to find somewhere new for the three of them to call home, none of the old Cullen houses would be seeing them again, too many painful memories. She had left a message with Rose telling me she would be in contact once things settled down and wishing me all the best.

"Be happy Jasper. Bella will forgive you, you just need to give her time."

I was relying on that!

As we drove out of Chicago the conversation turned to Volterra.

"Do you think Aro will recover his senses?"

"I have no idea, I guess it depends if his brain was capable of receiving all the input of everyone's thoughts from childhood till now in one go. That's one scary gift your dad has."

Marcus had called on Eleazar to see what exactly Charlie's gift was and discovered he amplified gifts and having been enraged with Aro he had used all his power on the Volturi leader. Neither he nor Eleazar thought Aro could recover from that but they would watch over him, care for him and see if time healed his fractured mind.

"I wasn't sure his wife would stand by him."

I glanced at her,

"They are mates, she really has no choice unless of course Charlie's gift broke that bond too."

She stared out of the window at the passing landscape for some time then nodded.

"I guess it's like us then."

"Yes, I guess so. Bella all I can do is apologize and promise you I will never leave you again, I have no excuse, just that I was scared of the idea you were my mate. I guess I should have known better than to doubt Alice."

"She told you and yet you stayed away all that time? Don't mates feel each others needs? Didn't you feel I was in trouble? Did you just ignore it?" 

"No, I was so mixed up until Charlotte put me right. She told me to follow my heart and that's how I found Charlie. I wish I'd been there sooner, I wish I'd seen James venom have its effect on you so I could have saved you all this grief, Charlie too. I wish it had been me at your side when you were desperate and not Darius…."

She cut me off coldly,

"That's a lot of wishes Jasper but you didn't and you weren't. But, I'm not sure things would have worked out any different. Charlie would probably still be a vampire and I certainly would. We can't live in the past, so we must look at the present and look forward to the future. I love you and so long as you never give me cause to doubt you again we'll be fine but give me time Jasper, it won't happen overnight."

I heaved a sigh of relief, I could live with that and it was more than I deserved, much more.


	41. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty One**

 **Bella**

I wanted to trust Jasper and I knew he meant it, that he would never let me down again but I found it difficult get past the fact I had been forced to rely on a stranger to help me. That when I really needed help he was nowhere around even though he knew what we meant to each other. That I hadn't known until he told me but it just made matters worse although I acknowledged that he could have kept this a secret, I would never have found out otherwise. How could he have taken so long to come back to me knowing I was his soul mate? It was, I decided, a question I needed the answer to, however much it might hurt.

He drove to a small motel set back from the highway, its sign only half lit and parked by the office going in without a word and coming back a few minutes later with a key. We parked up outside the cabin and I followed him wordlessly inside. It was basic but the place looked clean, besides I didn't anticipate being here that long or needing more than to use the shower maybe although my lack of spare clothes was going to become a problem soon. I had left mine in Italy in my haste to get away and I was becoming short of money too which was embarrassing.

Jasper followed me inside and shut the door quietly watching as I examined the bathroom then sat down on the edge of the bed motioning him to take the chair opposite and suddenly I felt very nervous, out of my depth. It was the first time the two of us had been alone together.

"What else is on your mind Bella?"

"The same thing I guess. Why didn't you come back when Alice told you about us?"

"I did."

"Not right away, it took you a very long time. I want to know why."

He sighed heavily and sat down but not in the chair, instead, he took his place beside me grasping my hand in his although I made no move to hold his in return.

"This is very hard for me Bella, I don't like talking about my past and it's not an excuse but I hope it might help you to understand why."

"Edward told me about your past. How you were turned by a crazy driven Mexican woman who used you to run her private army until you escaped. How you were one of the worst kind of vampires. Even Darius seemed in awe of your fighting abilities but it makes no difference to me and it's no excuse. If you are trying to tell me you were scared I might be afraid of you."

He laughed at that but there was no warmth in it, only bitterness.

"I wasn't afraid you would be scared Bella, I was, am, terrified that you will be disgusted by me, my past but you have a right to know because my relationship with Maria is why I hesitated."  
I opened my mouth with a question but he shook his head, jaw set,

"Please Bella, let me finish."

I closed my mouth and nodded leaning back against the headboard my hand still in his and listened as he explained what Maria had been to him, what she had done, what he had become and how when he left her he was damaged almost beyond repair.

"So, you see, I was a monster, Maria created The Major, her commander and lover and I have spent decades trying to find Jasper Whitlock again because he is not and never was The Major. Peter and Charlotte helped all they could but they were too close to it all, they knew The Major and will always see me at least a little as him, Peter still calls me by that name. I didn't want to be him and Alice bless her helped me somewhat, she gave me hope that the real me was still in here somewhere. She showed me that I was still capable of tenderness but it's been hard and when I discovered what we were I was afraid. I had seen you, sweet, loving and compassionate, brave and determined and I was scared that I couldn't, wouldn't be good enough for you. So, I ran and if not for Charlotte I might still be running. No, that's not true, I had already decided to throw myself on your mercy when she gave me the shove I needed. I curse my own weakness because if I'd been there maybe things would be different now and we wouldn't need to have this discussion. I love you, Bella, please believe that."

 **Jasper**

I had done all I could and it was now down to Bella but however long it took her to forgive me I would be there at her side loving her and keeping her safe although it seemed she hardly needed my help, not with the powerful shield she possessed.

There was a long pause and I could feel her emotions whirling like taffy. Then I felt the slightest squeeze against my hand and looked up into her beautiful face almost afraid at what I might see there but she was smiling.

"Jasper, you could never be a monster to me. You kept me safe in Phoenix you protected me when I was nothing to you. I understand your past better now but you were never the monster Maria thought she had created or you couldn't have allowed Charlotte and Peter to escape from her. I think you chose to believe she had been responsible for The Major when in reality all she did was to use your skills to her own end using your newborn phase and your love for her, or maybe infatuation would be a better term. I understand better why you took your time but you better get it through your thick skull that I will never let you go and I love all of you, The Major and Jasper Whitlock."

The relief that flooded through me was overwhelming and I cupped her face in my hands and kissed her, gently at first and then more urgently. The need to mark her as mine was almost overwhelming but I fought it down, she had to be the one to make the first move, I was determined of that.

She let go of my hand and jumped off the bed,

"I don't know about you but I'm thirsty. You want to hunt?"

I had others things in mind of course but I nodded and followed her back outside thanking the luck that put this motel on the edge of a wooded area. Then suddenly she was gone and I ran to catch her up then stopped as I heard the sound of deer drinking from a pool up ahead. She was there in the moonlight watching them, gauging the distance and choosing her prey. I was glad we were hunting animals although I would have gone with her on a human hunt if that had been her choice. I guess I should have realized Bella would never kill innocent humans if she could avoid it and realized Darius must have found this odd and difficult to accept.

When she closed in for the kill I was right behind her and we soon had our targets down and drained.

She looked magnificent, her eyes shining with the excitement of the hunt, her clothes disheveled from the short struggle and found myself unable to keep from pulling her close and kissing her hungrily. Her arms wrapped around my neck and she kissed me back then I found myself on the ground, Bella astride me pulling at my clothes, her hair cascading across her face and brushing my naked torso leaving me gasping with desire.

I tried to roll over, to take control but desire gave her extra strength and she fought me until finally, we were both naked and then I felt her breasts caress my chest as she leaned in followed by a sharp pain as she sank her teeth into my shoulder leaving yet another scar to add to my tally, but this one I would treasure, the mark of my mate. After that, I was lost in the pleasure of lovemaking with Bella more passionate than I could ever have imagined and insatiable. In fact, the moon rose and fell and rose again before we finally dragged ourselves away from each other and reclaimed our clothes for the short trip back to the motel and its shower plus, of course, the promise of its huge bed!


	42. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty Two**

 **Bella**

I couldn't have imagined how good it was to be mated and especially when my mate was so gorgeous and hot both in and out of bed. In my naivety I had imagined we wouldn't be at the motel for long so I was staggered to find two weeks had passed and we had only left our room to hunt twice. By the time we left we were both burning with thirst but neither of us cared. We were now one and couldn't get enough of each other. I had found that after our "talk" we were both much more relaxed and I could let my anger go altogether. I would never be the Bella he had known in Forks but then he wasn't quite the man I had known there either and perhaps that was for the best, I'm not sure Bella Swan and Jasper Hale would have been good for each other, we both now had horrific pasts which made us more forgiving of each other.

We were going to find a cabin in the mountains to make our home but first we would visit Peter and Charlotte. I owed Charlotte my thanks for giving Jasper the kick up the ass and Peter for…...well I guess being Peter and Jasper's friend through everything. The journey which should have taken us a couple of days actually took more like another two weeks as we couldn't pass up a good motel room every hundred miles, this was our honeymoon after all, even if we hadn't actually tied the knot officially although Jasper had popped the question and I had said yes. In our minds, we were married and didn't need a piece of paper to prove it!

I'm not sure quite what I expected but the ranch house was more Little house on the Prairie than a vampire's lair but then the Cullen house wasn't exactly a creepy crypt either. This thought made me smile and Jasper picking up on my amusement asked me about it so I explained my rather strange thoughts.

"Actually, having a place that looks so normal to humans is the best way to blend in. After all who would think that guy living on the ranch or the doctor's family living in that modern house in Forks could be vampires?"

"I can understand Carlisle and the family needing and wanting to fit in but Peter?"

"Yeah, I guess that's a little harder to understand but Peter never had a home as a human, at least nothing permanent. His father was a mean drunkard who moved constantly as he was always being fired and his mom left them when Peter was six so you see having a permanent home is important to him, that and Charlotte his mate. When I first knew Peter he was a mouthy hot head with a bad attitude but underneath was something worth bringing out. We became firm friends or as much as was possible in Maria's camp so when I saw how much Charlotte meant to him I had to help them escape. She was Peter's saviour."

"I never thought about his past, his human life I mean but all vampires have one and that can color the kind of vampire they become. I'll look on Peter differently now."

He laughed,

"I wouldn't. If he thinks you know about his past he'll only play up even worse."

"Is that possible?"

"Oh yes. Peter is a force of nature, something you just have to grin and bear until the wind dies down and the rain stops. He's been on best behavior so far."

"Really? I'd hate to see him when he isn't then".

"Trust me, no one gets too close when Peter is upset, except Charlotte. Luckily it doesn't happen often."

As we pulled up I noticed another car parked in the barn alongside a pickup and a station wagon.

"It looks like they already have guests."

Jasper tensed slightly,

"That's Darius' car, I didn't think he'd be here."

I could hear something in Jasper's voice that made me glad,

"Are you jealous?"

He shrugged,

"You did spend a lot of time alone with him, I'm entitled to be jealous."

"Actually, you're not because it should have been you but there's nothing between us although I owe him a lot. He has a few recent scars from looking after me. Come on, I'm dying to get to know Sara."

 **Jasper**

We were over the bumpy patch but that little dig reminded me I was still on probation and she was right, it was my own fault she had spent so much time with Darius and he had a mate of his own. I had nothing to concern myself about but I still felt my hackles rise when she ran to hug him before turning to talk to Sara.

Charlotte joined me putting a calming hand on my arm,

"I'm glad you brought Bella to meet us, Peter hasn't stopped talking about her, I think she has a fan."

I was surprised to hear this, Peter was usually very reserved around new people and took a long time to get to know them so Bella was highly honored.

"You're looking good Major, happy at last?"

I nodded,

"She's forgiven me."

"You sound like you think it should have been a forgone conclusion, Major. We women take our time to forgive huge mistakes and yours was pretty big but she loves you so forgiveness will come. Let's join the others before World War Three breaks out."

Peter and Darius were disputing the dangers they had been in since meeting Bella with both parties determined they were in the right. Trust my friend to find something to argue about. Bella and Sara were ignoring them completely and when the guys saw they had lost their audience they lost interest and joined us.

"Hey, I went all the way with Eddie boy just to make sure he got there safely and I spoke to your dad Bella. He's OK, I like him."

"Is he happy in Volterra? I was worried he might be upset having to stay there."

"Happy? He's like a pig in shit. Marcus and Athenadora are picking his brains about the best way to police the nomads and he's taken over the archives from Marcus for now. He said to tell you he's enjoying life."

"What about Aro? Has he recovered?"

"Nope. Eleazar spent some time talking to him and he reckons your dad's rage caused a spike in his gift which permanently fried the assholes brain. They keep him around for fun I reckon, he says the craziest things at times and he's taken to following Eddie around which freaks him out. I think they make a good comedy act and it serves the slimy little fucker right."

Bella was easier in her mind now she knew Charlie was settled and relaxed in the somewhat crazy atmosphere of Peter and Charlotte's hospitality. Darius told me he had spoken to Emmett who was living in Denali with Rose and Alice for now until they could decide where they wanted to go and what they were going to do.

"They couldn't settle in the place Alice had found. I think it's going to take them some time to come to terms with losing Esme and Carlisle. It seems they are resigned to this being their punishment for bailing on Bella."

"They'll work it out eventually with Eleazar and Carmen to help and Emmett won't stay in Denali long, not unless he wants Rose breaking a few heads. Tanya and her sisters always had the hots for him."

"Those three will target anything in pants Major, from what I hear."

"True. Maybe we should have sent Edward there as punishment, they terrify him."

"Oh, I think he's suffering as it is with the crazy following him around and knowing he has to behave himself or else."

"He must know Marcus won't kill him, it would destroy Carlisle."

"Ah, I don't think Darius was thinking of Marcus when he said that Major."

I turned to see Peter looking suspiciously smug.

"What did you do?"

"Me? Do? Now, why does everyone always suspect me?"

"Because it always is you, Peter, now what did you do?"

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small bundle wrapped in a piece of red velvet and proceeded to unwrap it until he revealed the contents. Four fingers and two thumbs lay nestled in the velvet.

"I borrowed these but I promised to take good care of them for a year or so and if he behaves I'll post them back to him. See, nothing really."

"Peter wanted to keep his tongue but Marcus vetoed that idea thank goodness. Now put those revolting things away and let's go for a swim."

Charlotte rolled her eyes and took Bella and Sara by the arms,

"You'll have to excuse my husband he's a little mad himself."

As we gathered our swimming gear I could hear Peters protests at being called mad and smiled. I was with friends and my mate was here with me, what more could I possibly ask for?

 **THE END.**

 **We'll be back with a new story soon. Thanks for joining us on the journey. Jules xx**


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